Afghan Election Rally Hit by Bombing

Date: 02 October 2018 - 22:14

News ID: ۵۸۰۰۷

KABUL (Dispatches) – A bomber has killed 13 people and injured more than 30 at an election rally in Nangarhar province - the first major attack on campaigning since it began last Friday.
Supporters of parliamentary candidate Abdel Naser Momand had gathered in Kama district when the blast happened.
The parliamentary election will be held on 20 October and there have been threats of violence.
Both the Taliban and the Daesh terrorist group have urged a boycott of the vote.
Provincial governor Ataullah Khogyani told AFP that Momand had survived the attack, but did not say if he was injured.
The force of the blast reportedly caused the ceiling to collapse on the crowd of about 250 people. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Campaigning for the October 20 legislative elections began on Friday, and security officials have warned of the danger of militant attacks during the campaigning season.
The polls were originally set to be held in 2015 following presidential elections the previous year but were repeatedly pushed back due to security fears and logistical problems.
Candidates will contest the 249 seats in the National Assembly for five-year terms. Regional elections will also be held in districts across Afghanistan.
"Elders were speaking at the meeting when there was suddenly a huge blast,” said Sayed Humayoun, who was attending the meeting in Kama district, outside the provincial capital, Jalalabad.
"I was knocked unconscious, but when I opened my eyes, there were bodies scattered all around the blast area,” he added, saying that he could see dozens of dead and wounded people on the ground.
Sohrab Qaderi, a member of the provincial council, said nearly 250 people were attending the rally. He also put the death toll at 30.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Both the Taliban and Daesh terrorist groups are present in Afghanistan.
The Taliban has warned Afghan people against taking part in the elections. Dozens of people have already been killed in militant attacks on voter registration centers.