12 killed in Afghan election rally blast

At least 12 people were killed after a blast ripped through an election campaign rally in Afghanistan's Takhar province on Saturday, officials said.

The motorcycle bomb was detonated in the afternoon targeting the campaign rally of Nazifa Beg Yusufi, a candidate from Rustaq district of Takhar, TOLO News reported.

"Female parliamentary candidate Nazifa Big Yusufi was busy in the election campaign when a blast occurred among her supporters at around 1.30 p.m, killing 12 persons on the spot and injuring 32 others," said provincial police spokesman Mohammad Jawad Hajari .

Two security force members were among the dead in the explosion, the police said, adding that an investigation was initiated into the incident. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

This was the third strike against the election campaign process this month. The parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 20.

Earlier this week, an attack at a campaign office in Helmand province killed eight people, including election candidate Saleh Mohammad Achakzai.

Before that, 14 people were killed on October 3 in an explosion on an election rally in Nangarhar.

--IANS

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