Afghan presidency favourite survives assassination attempt; 10 dead

Afghan presidential front-runner Abdullah Abdullah has survived an assassination attempt on his convoy in western Kabul. It is reported that bodyguards were injured and Abdullah was unharmed when two bomb blasts hit his presidential rally. Police claimed that there were several casualties when the devices detonated but the death toll could not be immediately verified.

The aim of this incident was to create fear and anxiety among the people and prevent them from deciding their own destiny.

Abdullah Abdullah

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast but Taliban militants have threatened to strike in the Afghan capital ahead of the second round of a presidential election runoff on 14 June. Last month, Taliban fighters beheaded eight policemen in the southern province of Zabul and killed at least eight others in Badakhshan.

Abdullah is my opponent, but I would not want any harm to come to him. I want it to be purely the people’s choice whom they want to be their next leader.

Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, former finance minister and Abdullah’s opponent

Middle East