Afghan presidential candidates fear for safety after attacks

Candidates jockeying to become Afghanistan's next president lashed out at the incumbent Ashraf Ghani on Monday after deadly violence cast a shadow over the first official day of campaigning.

At least 20 people -- most of them civilians -- were killed and 50 others wounded Sunday when a suicide attacker and gunmen targeted the Kabul office of Ghani's running mate, Amrullah Saleh.

Later in the day, NATO announced two US soldiers were killed in the country, without giving details.

The violence served as a grim reminder of Afghanistan's woeful security situation and the sort of mayhem and murder that have beset previous polls, even as Washington seeks a way out of what has become the United States's longest war.

"The government has not paid attention to the candidates' security," said Qadir Shah, the spokesman for Hanif Atmar, one of the top contenders looking to stop Ghani from securing a second term in September 28 elections. Shah told AFP that he and 12 other candidates had delayed plans to launch their campaigns, primarily over security concerns but also because they see
Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said security forces had been preparing for the elections for eight months and taken "serious measures" to protect candidates, including the provision of armoured vehicles. No group has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attacks, which came as the