Karzai, who himself escaped a 2002 attempt on his life, said in a brief statement that he was "deeply shocked" by the killing and offered condolences to Ismail Khan.
Karzai's first civil aviation minister, Abdul Rahman, was assassinated Feb. 14, 2002, at Kabul's airport. Gunmen shot and killed Vice President Abdul Qadir in the capital on July 6, 2002.
Both of those killings remain unsolved.
Karzai's government includes an uneasy alliance of former warlords who joined forces to help the US rout the former Taliban government. His government still is trying to establish authority nationwide, including over Herat, a major port of entry on the Iranian border, and its customs revenue.
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