Attack on electoral campaign in Afghanistan kills 13

Anti-government militants targeted an election gathering organized by female candidate Nazifa Big Yusufi in Afghanistan's northern Takhar province on Saturday, killing 13 people and injuring dozens of others, police said.

"Obviously it was a motorbike bomb targeting the electoral campaign of female candidate Nazifa Big Yusufi in Rustaq district today, leaving 13 people including some security personnel dead and injuring more than 32 others," police spokesman in the province Abdul Khalil Asir told Xinhua.

He added that Nazifa Big Yusufi escaped unscathed.

Meanwhile, another official said on condition of anonymity that 35 people were injured in the blast, some in critical condition.

Khalil Asir blamed anti-government militant groups for the deadly attack, saying the enemies of Afghanistan, a reference to the Taliban and associated militant outfits, could be behind the blast to terrorize the people and sabotage the electoral process.

The elections for Wolesi Jirga, or lower house of the Afghan parliament, are slated for Oct. 20 with more than 2,500 candidates vying for the chamber's 249 seats.

Campaign for the parliamentary elections began on Sept. 28.

Earlier this month, anti-government militants targeted an electoral campaign in Kama district of the eastern Nangarhar province, killing 10 people and injuring 25 others.

In a similar attack, the militants attacked an election gathering in the southern Helmand province last Tuesday, killing seven people including the candidate, and injuring 11 others.