Accessibility links

Breaking News

Suicide Bomber Targets Afghan Election Headquarters


Afghan soldiers inspect the site of a suicide attack near the election commission office in Kabul on October 29.
Afghan soldiers inspect the site of a suicide attack near the election commission office in Kabul on October 29.

A suicide bomber targeted the headquarters of Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) in Kabul, injuring at least six people in a blast in front of the building.

Police early on October 29 said a suicide attacker on foot blew himself up near a vehicle outside the office.

"The explosion happened 20 meters from the vehicles of the IEC employees," Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid told AFP news agency.

He said four employees of the IEC and two police officers were wounded.

It was not immediately clear how many people were at the site at the time of the attack.

The attack came as Afghan officials were beginning to count ballots from its long-delayed parliamentary elections held over the past two weeks under tight security.

The voting in Kandahar Province was initially postponed a week and rescheduled for October 27 in the southern Afghan province after a high-profile attack by Taliban militants.

The Afghan elections were rocked by repeated Taliban and Islamic State attacks.

Both groups have warned Afghans against participating in the elections and have used violence to try to prevent people from going to the polls.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP

XS
SM
MD
LG