Official: Afghanistan political rally turns deadly

At least 14 killed after rigged cycle detonates

KABUL, Afghanistan — A motorcycle rigged with explosives detonated at an election rally in northeastern Afghanistan on Saturday killing at least 14 people, including civilians and security forces, officials said.

Khalil Aser, spokesman for the provincial police chief in Takhar province, said 32 others were wounded when the explosives-laden motorbike parked near the rally in Rustaq district blew up.

“There are a number of wounded people in critical condition,” he said.

The attack took place at about noon before Nazefa Yusoufi Beg, a female candidate running for a seat in parliament in the Oct. 20 elections, arrived at the rally, Aser said. It was not immediately clear if she was the target.

Jawad Hajri, spokesman for the provincial governor, said Rustaq is a remote district where insurgent attacks have not occurred in the past and the candidate’s supporters had gathered for the rally confident they would be safe.

Adeb Hamra, a local resident, said in a telephone interview that the district government hospital has only four doctors and was overwhelmed with dead and wounded, most of them in critical condition.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban insurgents are active in the province and have claimed pervious attacks there.

Meanwhile, in a separate attack Saturday that targeted the office of a candidate in western Herat province, at least two people including a security guard and a child were killed, said Gelani Farhad, spokesman for the provincial governor.

He said one other person was wounded after two gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire at the campaign office of parliamentary candidate Sayed Azem Kabrzani in the Injil district.

“The candidate himself was not in the office when the attack happened and he is safe,” said Farhad. A police investigation was begun to find out more about the attack, he said.

These were not the first attacks targeting a political campaign this year.

On Tuesday, eight people including candidate Saleh Mohammad Achekzai, were killed when a suicide bomber struck Achekzai’s home In Helmand province. He was holding a meeting at the time of the attack in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital.

On Oct. 2, just days after official campaigning began, a suicide bomber struck an election rally in eastern Nangarhar province, killing at least 14 people and wounding around 40.

Last week, Taliban insurgents issued a statement condemning the elections and warning candidates and Afghan Security Forces that they would be targets if they participate. The Taliban called the polls a U.S.-manipulated event to further their hold on the country.