Zimbabwe's main opposition party said yesterday that an attack on its leader's motorcade, which saw an exchange of gunfire and several people injured, was a clear attempt to kill Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.
Police said gunshots were fired on both sides and several people were wounded on Sunday, ahead of a by-election in a northern constituency contested by Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
"We interpret yesterday's barbaric attack on the convoy escorting the MDC president as a clear attempt on the life of President Morgan Tsvangirai," the party said in a statement.
The incident took place in Chiveso village and was the latest attack in a violent campaign for the July 28th-29th parliamentary by-election in the constituency of Bindura.
"The attack was carried out by a well-organised and well paid group of agents who took cover in a broader group of hired village vigilantes," the MDC said.
It added that to open fire on the motorcade could be nothing other than a premeditated attempt to kill Mr Tsvangirai.
Police could not say what caused the exchange of fire, which began when Mr Tsvangirai and other senior opposition leaders arrived in the constituency on Sunday afternoon.
About 100 militant young supporters of the ruling Zimbabwe African National UnionPatriotic Front (ZANU-PF) attacked the 13-car motorcade with stones and burned one of the vehicles, the privately owned Daily News reported.
It said five MDC supporters were injured, one seriously.
MDC's security director, Mr Tendai Nyamushanya, told the Daily News that a ZANU-PF councillor led the militants in attacking the convoy.
Mr Tsvangirai was in Bindura to help an MDC candidate, Mr Elliot Pfebve, campaign for the parliamentary seat which he lost in elections last year after months of intimidation which was mainly against opposition supporters.
The by-election was called after Bindura's MP Mr Border Gezi, who was minister for youth, gender and employment creation, died in April in a car accident.
Mr Pfebve now faces ZANUPF's Mr Elliot Manyika, the governor of Mashonaland Central province.