| Submit your comments on this article |
| Afghanistan |
| Explosives seized ahead of election |
| 2014-04-02 |
| Afghan security forces have seized more than 22 tonnes of explosives, enough to make hundreds of bombs, the interior ministry said on Tuesday, four days before a presidential election. Taleban insurgents have declared war on the April 5 vote, calling it a Western-backed sham and threatening to disrupt it. âThis discovery will prevent hundreds of bomb attacks and would have a significant impact on the overall security of the elections,â Sediq Sediqqi, an Interior Ministry spokesman, told Reuters. Authorities are keen to show they are capable of keeping the vote safe and orderly as most foreign troops prepare to leave the country by the end of the year. Sediqqi said the explosives, hidden in some 450 bags, were seized from a basement in the relatively peaceful northern province of Takhar, where the Taleban have gained ground in recent years. Major cities have been placed on high alert this week with 352,000 security forces deployed around the country to prevent attacks on polling stations and other installations. |
| Posted by:Steve White |