Hamid Karzai
Flanked by senior officials, Afghanstan's President Hamid Karzai said he did not believe U.S. claims that the 16 deaths were the result of one rogue soldier -- a popular theory among the country’s elders. REUTERS

Taliban has claimed the responsibility for killing Afghan President Hamid Karzai's half-brother Ahmad Wali Karzai and also named the assassin as Sardar Ahmad, Voice of Russia reported, quoting the spokesman of the militant group.

Earlier, a counter-terrorism unit head said Ahmad Wali was reportedly killed by his own bodyguard.

Ahmad Wali Karzai was martyred by a bullet strike inside his house in Kandahar, Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Wali Karzai, who heads Kandahar’s provincial council, first came to prominence when WikiLeaks released documents pointing out his role in illegal deals with the lucrative opium trade and private security firms.

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