KABUL, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has promoted the rank of the recently killed border brigade commander to Major General and granted his family a residential apartment, the Ministry of Defense said Monday.
"Suggested by the Ministry of Defense and approved by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, General Zahir Gul Muqbil's rank was promoted from Brigadier General to Major General and his family was granted an apartment in the national capital of Kabul," the ministry said in a statement.
Gen. Muqbil, an Afghan border forces commander for the country's southern Helmand province, was killed and three border force members and a local TV channel reporter were wounded when a military vehicle was struck by a landmine over the weekend.
The landmine was allegedly placed by the Taliban militants in Marja district of Helmand.
The province, 555 km south of Kabul, is notorious for poppy growing and a known Taliban stronghold.
