Bomb at Afghan Election Rally Kills 12

(Bloomberg) -- At least 12 people were killed, including civilians and Afghan forces, and 32 others wounded in a bomb attack at an election rally in Afghanistan’s northeastern Takhar province.

A motorbike packed with explosives detonated near the rally, Khalil Aseer, a spokesman for the province’s police, said by phone. The incident took place in Rustaq district just before the arrival of the female election candidate Nazifa Yousofi Beig.

Afghanistan is holding parliamentary and district council elections on Oct. 20 and presidential elections in April next year amid fears of violence. The Taliban had recently called on its supporters to block the upcoming elections in the war-torn country.

While no group has claimed responsibility for today’s attack, the militant group had vowed to create "severe obstacles" to prevent the elections from going ahead. A bomb attack at an election rally in southern Helmand province killed eight people on Oct. 9, including a parliamentary candidate.

To contact the reporter on this story: Eltaf Najafizada in New York at enajafizada1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Niveditha Ravi, Paul Armstrong

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