A suicide bomber reportedly killed eight people in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province on Tuesday at an election rally in Lashkar Gah.
Omar Zwak, the provincial governor’s spokesman, confirmed that included among those killed in the blast was Saleh Mohammad Achekzai, a candidate in the war-torn country’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
At least 11 additional people were wounded in what was the latest in a series of deadly attacks targeting the vote.
Helmand is the province bordering Pakistan and has seen some of the fiercest fighting between American-led occupation forces and the Afghan National Resistance.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack.
Taliban fighters, however, have been intensifying attacks in strategic provinces ahead of the October 20 election.
The Taliban ordered Afghans on Monday to boycott the elections and demanded a complete withdrawal of foreign forces as the only way to end the 17 year conflict.
Hundreds of people have recently been killed or injured in violence linked to the upcoming parliamentary elections.
At least 13 people were killed and more than 30 injured in a suicide attack at an election rally in the eastern province of Nangarhar this month.
Two major attacks took place in the capital city of Kabul in April and another occurred a month later in Khost province.
Security officials have warned that attacks could pick up as elections approach.
Nearly 9 million voters and 2,500 candidates competing for places in the 249-seat lower house have been registered.
