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At least 13 people were killed and more than 20 wounded when a suicide bomber targeted an election rally in eastern Afghanistan, an official confirmed Tuesday.
The bomb blast targeted the political gathering of Abdul Nasir, the Wolesi Jirga (lower house) candidate in eastern Nangarhar province, a government spokesperson Attaullah Khogyani told Anadolu Agency.
He said the assault took place in Kama district at noon.
There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack in the province marred by pro-Daesh insurgency.
Afghans are set to go to the long-due parliamentary elections on Oct. 20.
Currently, a nationwide campaign for the polls is underway with the candidates holding political rallies amid grim security concerns. The Taliban have warned people against taking part in the elections.
Electoral campaign for Afghanistan's long-due parliamentary elections, scheduled for Oct. 20, began on Friday.Main roads, markets and other public places in the capital Kabul and all other major urban centers have been painted with colorful posters, banners and hoardings of the candidates.In line with the rules chalked out by the country’s election commission announced on Tuesday, candidates for the Wolesi Jirga (lower house) can campaign till October 18, two days before the scheduled polls.It has also set limits for financial resources a candidate can utilize for the campaign. Each candidate in the capital Kabul can spend no more than AFN 2.12 million [approximately $27,725 ] on the posters, media advertisement and other campaign maneuvers.Syed Hafeezullah Hashimi, spokesman for the commission, told Anadolu Agency the electoral body is committed to holding fair and free elections on time, and the candidates’ campaigns are being monitored for possible violations that could result in disqualification.The election commission has directed public sector employees and security officials to remain neutral and committed to fair and timely elections.Earlier this week, a coalition of main political parties, Grand National Alliance of Afghanistan, end its protest and boycott of the proposed polls upon the government’s assurance to utilize biometric verification of voters for the polls.Afghans are set to go to polls for the 249-seat lower house of parliament for a five-year term on Oct. 20. As per the election commission figures, over nine million voters, including three million women, are eligible to cast their votes.Taliban meets Afghan officials in Saudi Arabia ahead of election
Candidates begin campaign for Afghan parliament polls
Representatives from the Taliban met an Afghan government delegation in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss security ahead of next month's parliamentary elections and a limited prisoner release, three Taliban officials said.The meeting comes less than a month before voters are due to go to the polls on Oct. 20 to elect a new Afghan parliament, a process which has been hampered by fears of attacks on polling stations and campaign rallies.Ensuring the election passes off smoothly and without violence has been a top priority for the Afghan government and its international partners."They requested us to help them conduct peaceful elections," said one of the Taliban leaders.Russia says Taliban ready to attend Afghan peace talks in Moscow"The Afghan delegation has agreed with us on the release of prisoners," he said, adding that some prisoners facing minor charges had already been released and officials had divided up others into three categories, depending on their importance, for future release.Both President Ashraf Ghani's office and the U.S. State Department declined to comment. No comment was available from Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's main spokesman.The Taliban, who regard the internationally recognised Afghan government as an illegitimate regime imposed by foreign powers, have generally insisted on negotiating only with the United States but there have been regular unofficial contacts.Earlier this year, Washington dropped its refusal to talk with the Taliban, saying the United States would be willing to participate in Afghan-led peace talks and U.S. and Taliban delegations met for talks in Doha, Qatar, in July.Fair polls key to peace, security in Afghanistan: UNThe meeting in Saudi Arabia came after plans for another meeting with American officials broke down over U.S. demands for a three-month ceasefire, the Taliban representatives said, speaking on condition of anonymity."Some of our senior people were not in the favour of holding talks with the Afghan government as until now we were calling them puppets and refused to meet them," said one senior Taliban leader in Qatar."But our proposed meeting with the Americans failed to take place due to certain reasons," he said.The officials said U.S. demands for a ceasefire was something the leadership could not agree to. As a result, no formal meeting was held although there were informal contacts."Our agreement for holding the meeting was only to discuss prisoner exchange and the removal of our people from the UN black list so they can travel," said one senior Taliban leader from the movement's political office in Qatar.
Taliban meets Afghan officials in Saudi Arabia ahead of election
Multiple rockets hit the Afghan city of Ghazni on Thursday during a visit by President Ashraf Ghani, according to officials and residents of the city, which is still struggling to return to normal after it was overrun by Taliban fighters last month.At least two rockets landed within 300 metres (yards) of the governor's compound, where Ghani was meeting local officials, while a third struck further off, said Ahmad Khan Sirat, spokesman for Ghazni police.There was no word on any casualties but light and heavy weapons fire could be heard, he said.Ghazni, on the main highway between the capital Kabul and southern Afghanistan, still bears the scars of days of heavy combat last month when hundreds of Taliban fighters stormed the city and overran large parts of the centre.The attackers were eventually driven off with heavy losses by Afghan forces backed by U.S. air strikes but the assault caused shock across Afghanistan, underlining the insurgents' ability to mount large scale attacks on major cities.Ghani's visit to Ghazni, accompanied by his wife, was aimed at assessing the security situation in the city. 
Rockets hit Afghan city during president's visit