Suicide attack on Kabul voter registration centre kills 31: ministry

A suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul today, the health ministry said, in the latest attack on election preparations.

The assaults underscore growing concerns about security in the lead-up to legislative elections scheduled for October 20, which are seen as a test-run for next year's presidential poll.

"It happened at the entrance gate of the centre. It was a suicide attack," Dawood Amin, city police chief, told AFP.

Health ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh said 31 people had been killed and 54 wounded. The higher toll could not be immediately confirmed, but a police official told AFP on condition of anonymity that at least 25 people had been killed and 70 wounded.

Earlier, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish put the death toll at nine and 56 wounded. He could not immediately be reached for an update.

Afghan officials often give conflicting tolls in the wake of attacks and routinely understate the figures.

The centre in the heavily Shiite-populated neighbourhood in the west of the city was also being used by people to register for national identification certificates, which they need to sign up to vote.

Footage on Ariana TV showed pools of blood and shattered glass on the street.

Angry crowds shouted "Death to the government!" and "Death to the Taliban!" There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Taliban have denied they were involved.

A wounded man in a hospital bed wept as he told Ariana TV: "I don't know where my daughters are. God damn the attackers!" A witness to the attack named Akbar told Tolo TV: "Now we know the government cannot provide us security: we have to get armed and protect ourselves."