Image copyright Reuters Image caption Posters in Kabul. Campaigning for the 20 October election began on Friday

A suicide attacker has killed 13 people and injured more than 30 at an election rally in Nangarhar province - the first major attack on campaigning since it began last Friday.

Supporters of parliamentary candidate Abdel Naser Momand had gathered in Kama district when the blast happened.

The parliamentary election will be held on 20 October and there have been threats of violence.

Both the Taliban and the Islamic State group have urged a boycott of the vote.

Provincial governor Ataullah Khogyani told AFP that Mr Momand had survived the attack, but did not say if he was injured.

The force of the blast reportedly caused the ceiling to collapse on the crowd of about 250 people.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Recent reports suggest this has been the deadliest year in Afghanistan since the 2001 US-led invasion, with around 20,000 people - civilians and combatants - thought to have been killed.

The run-up to the vote has seen an increase in violence, with militants vowing to disrupt it.

More than 2,500 candidates are reportedly standing in the election.</s>Kabul: An Afghan official said a suicide bomber struck an election rally in the country's eastern Nangarhar province, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than 30.

Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, said some of the wounded are in critical condition, which increases concerns that the death toll could rise further.

The attack took place in the province's Kama district on Tuesday afternoon where supporters of Abdul Naser Mohmand had gathered to back his campaign as an independent candidate in Afghanistan's parliamentary elections scheduled for 20 October.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Nangarhar, where both the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate are active.</s>At least 13 people were killed and 30 wounded on Tuesday in a suicide bomb attack at a parliamentary election rally in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, the spokesperson for the provincial governor told EFE.

Attahullah Khogyani stated that the bomber detonated an explosive vest at around 1.30 pm local time (9 am GMT) at a campaign event for the legislator Abdul Naser Mohmand in the province's Kama district.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide bomber struck an election rally in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than 30, a provincial official said. The attack, the…

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide bomber struck an election rally in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than 30, a provincial official said.

The attack, the first since campaigning began last week ahead of the elections for the lower house of parliament, underscored the widespread violence gripping the country 17 years after the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban.

The vote is scheduled for Oct. 20 but it’s unclear if the balloting will go ahead in areas controlled by the Taliban.

Tuesday’s attack took place in Nangarhar’s district of Kama as supporters of Abdul Naser Mohmand gathered in the afternoon to back his campaign as an independent candidate in the elections.

According to Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, some of the wounded were in critical condition, which added to concerns the death toll could rise further.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but both the resurgent Taliban and Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate are active in Nangarhar.

“Most of the people killed or wounded are elders who had gathered for the campaign rally,” said Khogyani.

The election campaign kicked off last Friday with 2,565 candidates vying for a seat in the 249-member chamber, including 417 women candidates.

In the run-up to campaigning, five candidates were killed in separate attacks, including two in Kabul and one each in Nangarhar, southern Kandahar and northern Parwan province.

Also, officials from the country’s Independent Election Commission said that two candidates were abducted and their fates remain unknown while three others were wounded in attacks.

Separately, Afghan security forces killed three bodyguards of an independent parliamentary candidate during a raid on a house near his residence in the eastern Kunar province on Sunday.

But the security challenges are not the only worries ahead of the elections. A number of political parties and opposition groups have expressed concerns over the transparency of the vote, leading to demands that a biometrics system be used to register voters — a first in Afghanistan’s history.

In Afghanistan, the parliament includes both a lower and an upper house, but only members of the lower house are directly elected. The upper house consists of a mixture of parliamentarians chosen from local councils and those appointed by the president, as well as members elected in district elections.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>An Afghan official says a suicide bomber has struck an election rally in the country's eastern Nangarhar province, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than 30.

Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, says some of the wounded are in critical condition, which increases concerns that the death toll could rise further.

The attack took place in the province's Kama district on Tuesday afternoon where supporters of Abdul Naser Mohmand had gathered to back his campaign as an independent candidate in Afghanistan's parliamentary elections scheduled for Oct. 20.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Nangarhar, where both the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate are active.

Be the first to know. No one covers what is happening in our community better than we do. And with a digital subscription, you'll never miss a local story.</s>Suicide Blast Hits Election Rally in Nangarhar, Kills At Least 10

A suspected suicide attack carried out at an election campaign rally in eastern Nangarhar province on Tuesday, leaving at 10 killed and dozens of others wounded.

Ataullah Khogyani, the provincial governor’s spokesman said that the incident took place in Kama district of the province when the suicide bomber targeted a campaign rally held by a parliamentary election candidate.

According to sources, at least 10 people were killed and 25 more were wounded in the incident.

No group including the Taliban and Islamic State immediately claimed responsibility of the attack.

Nangarhar has been among relatively restive provinces of Afghanistan, where the Taliban and Islamic State militant groups are actively operating in a number of its remote district.</s>At least 13 people were killed and 30 wounded after a suicide bomber detonated explosives at an election campaign rally in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province on Tuesday, Tolo News quoted provincial public health director Najibullah Kamawal as saying.

The explosion took place in Kama district where a candidate, Nasir Mohmand, had gathered people to explain his plans. Sohrab Qaderi, a member of the provincial council, said that around 250 people were in attendance, reported Al Jazeera.

Sayed Humayoun, who was at the meeting, said that elders were speaking when there was a huge blast. “I was knocked unconscious but when I opened my eyes there were bodies scattered all around the blast area,” he said.

No organisation has claimed responsibility so far.

The explosion came as campaigning started for parliamentary elections due on October 20. Five candidates have been killed in attacks so far, said the Independent Election Commission. The Taliban and the Islamic State have declared to disrupt the election process across the country.</s>A suicide bomber blew himself up at an election rally in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than 30, Reuters reported, citing officials. Campaigning for the October 20 parliamentary election began on Friday. Security officials have warned of the danger of militant attacks during the campaigning. “Elders were speaking at the meeting when there was suddenly a huge blast,” said witnesses who were attending the meeting in Kama district, outside the provincial capital Jalalabad.</s>JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up at an election rally in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar on Tuesday, killing at least seven people and wounding 25, officials said, warning that the toll was likely to climb.

Campaigning for the Oct. 20 parliamentary election began on Friday and security officials have warned that campaign meetings would be vulnerable to attack by militant groups.

Attaullah Khogyani, the spokesman of the provincial governor, said at least seven bodies had been taken to hospital, but other officials said the total was likely to be much higher.

Around 250 people were attending the rally in Kama district outside the provincial capital of Jalalabad, said Sohrab Qaderi, a member of the provincial council, adding that at least 20 were killed and dozens more wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Militant group Islamic State has claimed a series of attacks this year that have killed scores of people in Nangarhar, on the border with Pakistan.</s>JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up at an election campaign rally in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar on Tuesday and casualties were likely, Sohrab Qaderi, a member of the provincial council, said.

No details were immediately available on the attack, which came as campaigning has begun across Afghanistan for parliamentary elections due on Oct. 20.
A suicide bomber kills 13 people and injures more than 30 others at an election rally in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.