13 killed, 33 injured in Afghan blast

A blast at a voter registration centre in Afghanistan’s restive east on Sunday killed at least 13 people and wounded 33, a health official said, capping a bloody week in the war-torn country.

The bomb had been placed in a tent being used to register voters on the grounds of a mosque, marking the latest attack on preparations for the long-delayed legislative elections.

“A crowd of people who had come out of the mosque had gathered to register” when the blast took place, Khost provincial police chief Abdul Hanan Zadran said.

Provincial deputy director of public health Gul Mohammad Mangal said a female election worker died in the incident.

Mr. Mangal warned the toll could rise, with several of the wounded in a critical condition.

“Ambulances are still bringing more people,” he added.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The Taliban said it was not involved in the explosion.

Series of attacks

It was the latest attack on election preparations and comes almost a week after 25 people were killed in a double bombing in the Afghan capital Kabul. Nine journalists, including AFP chief photographer Shah Marai, were among the dead.

The latest assault on a voter registration centre is likely to deter more people from signing up for the long-delayed parliamentary and district council elections scheduled for October 20.

On April 22, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a voter registration centre in Kabul, killing 60 people and wounding more than 100.

That was among a series of attacks across the country on places where people were signing up to vote.

The Taliban and the Islamic State have made clear their intentions to disrupt the elections. Officials are concerned that a low voter turnout will undermine the credibility of the poll.

Just over 1.2 million adults had registered by Saturday, three weeks after the two-month long process began, data compiled by the Independent Election Commission showed.