A BOMB blast inside a mosque in eastern Afghanistan that was being used as a voter registration centre has killed at least 12 people and wounded 33, officials said.
Habib Shah Ansari, the provincial head of public health, confirmed the toll from the attack, which took place in the city of Khost.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both the Taliban and a local Daesh affiliate reject democratic elections and have targeted them in the past.
Daesh is not known to have a presence in Khost, but has expanded its footprint into other areas in recent years.
Last month, a Daesh suicide bomber attacked a voter registration centre in Kabul, killing 60 people and wounding at least 130 others.
Afghanistan plans to hold elections in October, the first since 2014.
The Taliban and Daesh have launched a relentless wave of attacks since the start of the year, killing scores of civilians in the capital, Kabul, and elsewhere.
Afghan security forces have struggled to combat the groups since the US and Nato concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, switching to a counter-terrorism and support role.
Elsewhere in Afghanistan, a vehicle carrying shopkeepers on their way to a market struck a roadside bomb in the northern Faryab province, killing seven of them. Police said another civilian was wounded in yesterday’s attack.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here