A suicide attack at a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul has killed at least 31 people, officials say.

More than 50 others were injured in the blast which hit a crowd waiting at the entrance to the centre.

The Islamic State group (IS) has claimed via its Amaq news agency that it carried out the attack.

Voter registration began this month for legislative elections which are due to take place in October.

The Amaq report said that a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt targeted the centre, which is in the Dashte Barchi area of western Kabul.

There have already been at least four attacks on such centres since voter registration got under way.

Afghanistan's interior minister told the BBC earlier this year that both the Taliban and IS were targeting civilians to provoke people against the government and create chaos.</s>Kabul: A suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, the health ministry said, in the latest attack on election preparations.

The assaults underscore growing concerns about security in the lead-up to legislative elections scheduled for 20 October, which are seen as a test-run for next year’s presidential poll.

“It happened at the entrance gate of the centre. It was a suicide attack,” Dawood Amin, city police chief, told AFP.

Health ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh said 31 people had been killed and 54 wounded. The higher toll could not be immediately confirmed, but a police official told AFP on condition of anonymity that at least 25 people had been killed and 70 wounded.

Earlier, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish put the death toll at nine and 56 wounded. He could not immediately be reached for an update.

Afghan officials often give conflicting tolls in the wake of attacks and routinely understate the figures.

The centre in the heavily Shiite-populated neighbourhood in the west of the city was also being used by people to register for national identification certificates, which they need to sign up to vote.

Footage on Ariana TV showed pools of blood and shattered glass on the street.

Angry crowds shouted “Death to the government!” and “Death to the Taliban!” There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Taliban have denied they were involved.

A wounded man in a hospital bed wept as he told Ariana TV: “I don’t know where my daughters are. God damn the attackers!”

A witness to the attack named Akbar told Tolo TV: “Now we know the government cannot provide us security: we have to get armed and protect ourselves.”

Photos posted on social media purportedly of the scene showed several bodies on the ground and a badly damaged two-storey building.

Afghanistan began registering voters on 14 April for the long-delayed legislative elections.

Officials have acknowledged that security is a major concern as the Taliban and other militant groups control or contest large swathes of the country.

Afghan police and troops have been tasked with protecting polling centres, even as they struggle to get the upper hand against insurgents on the battlefield.

Militants on Friday launched rockets at a voter registration centre in the northwestern province of Badghis.

At least one police officer was killed and another person was wounded, officials said, blaming the Taliban.

On Tuesday gunmen attacked a voter registration centre in the central province of Ghor, kidnapping three election workers and two policemen.

Taliban militants released the five on Thursday.

Over the next two months, authorities hope to register up to 14 million adults at more than 7,000 polling centres for the parliamentary and district council elections.

Officials have been pushing people to register amid fears a low turnout will undermine the credibility of the polls.

The last major attack in Kabul was on 21 March when an Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd celebrating the Persian New Year holiday.

At least 33 people were killed and dozens more wounded in that blast, which also happened in a Shiite area of the city.

Since then a tense calm has permeated the Afghan capital as people brace for the Taliban’s launch of its customary spring offensive.

The Taliban are under pressure to take up President Ashraf Ghani’s peace offer made in February, but so far the group has given only a muted response.

Some Western and Afghan officials expect 2018 to be a particularly bloody year.

General John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, told Tolo TV last month that he expected the Taliban to carry out more suicide attacks this fighting season.</s>A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, killing at least nine people and wounding dozens in the latest attack on election preparations.

The assaults underscore growing concerns about security in the lead-up to legislative elections scheduled for October 20, which are seen as a test-run for next year's presidential poll.

"It happened at the entrance gate of the centre. It was a suicide attack," Dawood Amin, city police chief, told AFP.

Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said at least nine people had been killed and 56 wounded. Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai confirmed the figures.

Health ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh said 12 people had been killed and 57 wounded.

Afghan officials often give conflicting tolls in the wake of attacks and routinely understate the figures.

The centre in the heavily Shiite-populated neighbourhood in the west of the city was also being used by people to register for national identification certificates, which they need to sign up to vote.

Footage on Ariana TV showed pools of blood and shattered glass on the street.

Angry crowds shouted "Death to the government!" and "Death to the Taliban!" There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Taliban have denied they were involved.

A wounded man in a hospital bed wept as he told Ariana TV: "I don't know where my daughters are. God damn the attackers!"

A witness to the attack named Akbar told Tolo TV: "Now we know the government cannot provide us security: we have to get armed and protect ourselves."

Photos posted on social media purportedly of the scene showed several bodies on the ground and a badly damaged two-storey building.

Afghanistan began registering voters on April 14 for the long-delayed legislative elections.

Officials have acknowledged that security is a major concern as the Taliban and other militant groups control or contest large swathes of the country.

Afghan police and troops have been tasked with protecting polling centres, even as they struggle to get the upper hand against insurgents on the battlefield.

Militants on Friday launched rockets at a voter registration centre in the northwestern province of Badghis.

At least one police officer was killed and another person was wounded, officials said, blaming the Taliban.

On Tuesday gunmen attacked a voter registration centre in the central province of Ghor, kidnapping three election workers and two policemen.

Taliban militants released the five on Thursday.

Over the next two months, authorities hope to register up to 14 million adults at more than 7,000 polling centres for the parliamentary and district council elections.

Officials have been pushing people to register amid fears a low turnout will undermine the credibility of the polls.

The last major attack in Kabul was on March 21 when an Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd celebrating the Persian New Year holiday.

At least 33 people were killed and dozens more wounded in the blast, which also happened in a Shiite area of the city.

Since then a tense calm has permeated the Afghan capital as people brace for the Taliban's launch of its customary spring offensive.

The Taliban are under pressure to take up President Ashraf Ghani's peace offer made in February, but so far the group has given only a muted response.

Some Western and Afghan officials expect 2018 to be a particularly bloody year.

General John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, told Tolo TV last month that he expected the Taliban to carry out more suicide attacks this fighting season.</s>A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, killing four people and wounding at least 15 in the latest attack on the centres.

The assaults underscore growing concerns about security in the lead-up to legislative elections scheduled for October 20.

“It happened at the entrance gate of the centre. It was a suicide attack. There are casualties,” Dawood Amin, city police chief, told AFP.

Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish confirmed the death toll but put the number of wounded at 20.

The centre was also being used by people to register for national identification certificates.

The attack happened in a heavily Shiite-populated neighbourhood in the west of the city. Footage on Ariana TV showed pools of blood and shattered glass on the street.

Angry crowds shouted “Death to the government!” and “Death to the Taliban!” There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Photos posted on social media purportedly of the site showed several bodies on the ground and a badly damaged two-storey building.

Afghanistan began registering voters on April 14 for the long-delayed legislative elections, which are seen as a test-run for the presidential poll next year.

Election officials have acknowledged that security is a major concern as the Taliban and other militant groups control or contest large swathes of the country.

Afghan police and troops have been tasked with protecting polling centres, even as they struggle to get the upper hand against insurgents on the battlefield.

Militants on Friday launched rockets at a voter registration centre in the northwestern province of Badghis.

At least one police officer was killed and another person was wounded, officials said, blaming the Taliban.

On Tuesday gunmen attacked a voter registration centre in the central province of Ghor, kidnapping three election workers and two policemen.

Over the next two months, authorities hope to register up to 14 million adults at more than 7,000 polling centres for the parliamentary and district council elections.

Officials have been pushing people to register amid fears a low turnout will undermine the credibility of the polls.

President Ashraf Ghani last week urged religious leaders to use Friday prayers to encourage worshippers to sign up.

He also called on provincial governors to tell their employees to register themselves and family members.</s>A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, killing four people and wounding 15 others.

“It happened at the entrance gate of the centre. It was a suicide attack. There are casualties,” Dawood Amin, city police chief, told AFP.

Health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh said at least four people had been killed and 15 others wounded. The attack — the latest assault targeting a voter registration centre — happened in a heavily Shia-populated neighbourhood in the west of the city.

Afghanistan on April 14 began registering voters for long-delayed legislative elections scheduled for October.

Election officials have acknowledged that security is a major concern as the Taliban and other militant groups control or contest large swathes of the country. Afghan police and troops forces have been tasked with protecting polling centres, even as they struggle to get the upper hand against militants on the battlefield.</s>People gather outside a voter registration center, which was attacked by a suicide bomber in Kabul, Sunday. (AP)

KABUL: A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul today, killing four people and wounding at least 15 in the latest attack on the centres.

The assaults underscore growing concerns about security in the lead-up to legislative elections scheduled for October 20.

"It happened at the entrance gate of the centre. It was a suicide attack. There are casualties," Dawood Amin, city police chief, told AFP.

Health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh said at least four people had been killed and 15 wounded.

Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish confirmed the death toll but put the number of wounded at 20.

The centre was also being used by people to register for national identification certificates.

The attack happened in a heavily Shiite-populated neighbourhood in the west of the city.

Footage on Ariana TV showed pools of blood and shattered glass on the street.

Angry crowds shouted "Death to the government!" and "Death to the Taliban!" There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Photos posted on social media purportedly of the site showed several bodies on the ground and a badly damaged two-storey building.

Afghanistan began registering voters on April 14 for the long-delayed legislative elections, which are seen as a test-run for the presidential poll next year.

Election officials have acknowledged that security is a major concern as the Taliban and other militant groups control or contest large swathes of the country.

Afghan police and troops have been tasked with protecting polling centres, even as they struggle to get the upper hand against insurgents on the battlefield.

Militants on Friday launched rockets at a voter registration centre in the northwestern province of Badghis.

At least one police officer was killed and another person was wounded, officials said, blaming the Taliban.

On Tuesday gunmen attacked a voter registration centre in the central province of Ghor, kidnapping three election workers and two policemen.

Taliban militants released the five on Thursday.

Over the next two months, authorities hope to register up to 14 million adults at more than 7,000 polling centres for the parliamentary and district council elections.

Officials have been pushing people to register amid fears a low turnout will undermine the credibility of the polls.

President Ashraf Ghani last week urged religious leaders to use Friday prayers to encourage worshippers to sign up.

He also called on provincial governors to tell their employees to register themselves and family members.</s>An Islamic State suicide bomber killed at least 57 people including women and children and wounded 119 outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday in the latest attack on election preparations.

The assaults underscore growing concerns about security in the lead-up to legislative elections scheduled for October 20, which are seen as a test-run for next year’s presidential poll.

There were anguished and angry scenes at Isteqlal Hospital where many of the victims were taken, with relatives criticising the Afghan government for failing to protect their loved ones.

“Our patience is running out. This government should take responsibility for the lives of all these innocent people lost every day,” a man called Hussain, whose cousin was wounded in the blast, told AFP.

The health ministry gave the latest toll for the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group via its propaganda arm Amaq.

The interior ministry had earlier said 48 people were killed and 112 wounded. Its spokesman was not immediately available to comment on the new toll.

The centre in a heavily Shiite-populated neighbourhood in the west of the city was also being used by people to register for national identification certificates, which they need in order to sign up to vote.

“I found myself covered in blood, with dead people — women and children — around me,” said Ali Rasuli, who had been standing in a queue outside the centre when he saw a “fireball” in front of him. He was taken to hospital with leg and abdominal wounds.

Sheets of paper and passport-sized photos lay scattered amid shattered glass and pools of blood on the street near badly damaged cars — grim evidence of the force of the blast.

“This senseless violence shows the cowardice and inhumanity of the enemies of democracy and peace in Afghanistan,” US ambassador John Bass wrote on Twitter. NATO and the United Nations also condemned the bombing.

The last major attack in Kabul was on March 21 when an IS suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd celebrating the Persian New Year holiday and killed at least 33 people.

Ariana TV showed angry crowds shouting “Death to the government!” and “Death to the Taliban!”

A wounded man in a hospital bed wept as he told the network: “I don’t know where my daughters are. God damn the attackers!”

A witness to the attack named Akbar told Tolo TV: “Now we know the government cannot provide us security: we have to get armed and protect ourselves.”

Elsewhere, a roadside explosion in the northern province of Baghlan on Sunday killed six people, including three women and two children.

Afghanistan began registering voters on April 14 for the long-delayed legislative elections.

Officials have acknowledged that security is a major concern because the Taliban and other militant groups control or contest large swathes of the country.

Afghan police and troops have been tasked with protecting polling centres, even as they struggle to get the upper hand against insurgents on the battlefield.

Militants on Friday launched rockets at a voter registration centre in the northwestern province of Badghis, killing a police officer and wounding another person.

Officials blamed the Taliban for the attack.

On Tuesday gunmen attacked a voter registration centre in the central province of Ghor, kidnapping three election workers and two policemen.

Over the next two months, authorities hope to register up to 14 million adults at more than 7,000 polling centres for the parliamentary and district council elections.

Officials have been pushing people to register amid fears a low turnout will undermine the credibility of the polls.

Since the Persian New Year attack a tense calm had permeated the Afghan capital as people brace for the Taliban’s launch of its customary spring offensive.

The Taliban are under pressure to take up Ghani’s peace offer made in February but so far the group has given only a muted response.

Some Western and Afghan officials expect 2018 to be a particularly bloody year.

General John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, told Tolo TV last month that he expected the Taliban to carry out more suicide attacks this fighting season.</s>A suicide bomber has targeted a voter registration center in Kabul, Afghanistan. Dozens are dead and more than 100 wounded.</s>A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, killing at least four people and wounding more than 20, officials said. The attack follows several weeks of relative quiet in Kabul and there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said a bomber on foot approached the centre where officials had been issuing identity cards as part of a process of registering voters for parliamentary elections this year.

Ashmat Stanekzai, an adviser to the Kabul police chief, said at least four people were dead and more than 20 wounded but the final toll may increase. Pictures apparently of the immediate aftermath of the blast that were shared on social media sites showed four bodies, including women, lying on the ground and cars partially destroyed by the blast.

Voter registration centres have been set up across Afghanistan ahead of long-delayed parliamentary and district council elections due to be held in October and there have been serious concerns that militants might attack them.

Sunday’s blast took place in Dasht-e Barchi, an area of western Kabul inhabited by many members of the mainly Shi’ite Hazara minority, which has been repeatedly hit by attacks claimed by Islamic State.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App</s>Kabul :A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, killing four people and wounding 15. “It happened at the entrance gate of the centre. It was a suicide attack. There are casualties,” Dawood Amin, city police chief, told AFP. Health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh said at least four people had been killed and 15 wounded.
A bomb explodes in a voter registration centre in Kabul killing at least 30 people and injuring approximately 50. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant claim responsibility.