14 killed in Afghan poll rally suicide bombing

At least 14 people were killed and 47 were wounded in a suicide bomb attack at an election rally in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province on Tuesday, officials said.

Provincial government spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said that the bomber detonated an explosive vest at 1.30 p.m. at the campaign event for legislator Abdul Naser Mohmand in the province's Kama district, Efe news reported.

Mohmand was wounded after the explosion, reports said. According to Khogyani, many of the wounded were in critical condition.

The electoral campaign for the October 20 Afghan parliamentary elections began last Friday across the country.

Around 2,691 candidates from 33 out of 34 provinces (excluding Ghazni) will run for the Parliament's 249 seats.

More than 50 people, including seven election candidates, have been killed in election-related attacks across the country this year.

--IANS

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