Deadly bomb attack hits election rally in Afghanistan

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.

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.

Source: BBC