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Afghanistan war: Deadly bomb attack hits election rally | Afghanistan war: Deadly bomb attack hits election rally |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A suicide bomb attack at an election rally in Afghanistan has killed at least 24 people. | |
The meeting in Parwan province, north of the capital Kabul, was about to be addressed by President Ashraf Ghani. | |
Another blast in central Kabul, near the US embassy, has killed at least three people. | |
The Taliban said it was behind both attacks. The group has continued a concerted bombing campaign while at the same time taking part in peace talks. | |
But US President Donald Trump described the negotiations with the group as "dead" earlier this month. | |
The Taliban refuses to talk to the Afghan government and has vowed to disrupt the presidential election in the country on 28 September. | |
What is known about the explosions? | |
Thirty-one people are reported to have been injured in the election rally blast in Charikar, the capital of Parwan province. | |
Children were among the casualties, medical staff said. The bomber, on a motorbike, triggered the blast at a checkpoint at the venue. | |
Mr Ghani, who hopes for a second five-year term, was not hurt. | Mr Ghani, who hopes for a second five-year term, was not hurt. |
Details about the Kabul blast are still emerging. It was near the busy Massood Square, the site of government ministries and Nato compounds. | |
What is the security situation in Afghanistan? | |
An average of 74 people were killed every day in the country in August, according to data collected by the BBC. | |
Most of the casualties were those involved in combat, such as Taliban fighters, but a fifth were civilians, including children. | |
The worst day for civilians was 18 August, when 112 were killed, including 92 at a wedding in Kabul. | |
The Taliban is estimated to be openly active across 70% of Afghanistan. | |
In June 2019, the country was named the least peaceful place in the world by the Global Peace Index report. |