Jordan denies link to Afghan bombing 

(MENAFN - Arab News) The Jordanian government on Sunday denied any link to a fatal bombing in Afghanistan's Khost area that killed seven agents of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Wednesday.

However, the Minister of State for Information Affairs and Communication Nabil Sharif said that the government "has no means to verify the allegation that the suicide bomber was Jordanian".

The minister was responding to a report by the Doha-based Al-Jazeera television which quoted a spokesman for Afghanistan's Taleban that the attacker held Jordanian nationality and that he had links with the Jordanian intelligence.

"The Jordanian government categorically denies any connection with the operation and considers such report as baseless," Sharif said.

The Jordanian army said earlier that one of its officers, Capt. Ali bin Zeid, was killed on Wednesday in Afghanistan as he performed his "humanitarian duties" along with other Jordanian troops stationed there.

Bin Zeid held the title of "Sherif," which is bestowed on members of the ruling family. The army headquarters statement mentioned nothing about the circumstances surrounding his death.

His remains were flown to Amman for burial on Saturday, where his funeral was attended by King Abdallah and Queen Rania.

The CIA said seven of its agents were killed in an attack on Wednesday at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost province near the Pakistani border. The Taleban claimed responsibility for the attack.

By Abdul Jalil Mustafa