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| Afghanistan |
| Taliban Ambush Afghan Poll Convoy |
| 2009-08-02 |
| [Quqnoos] Taliban insurgents attacked a military convoy carrying ballot papers in western Afghanistan on Friday, killing four soldiers, officials said. A roadside bomb struck the convoy of Afghan soldiers, loaded with ballot papers for the country's upcoming presidential and provincial council elections in the western Farah province, provincial governor Rohul Amin told Reuters. Insurgents opened fire on the convoy after it was hit by a roadside bomb, the governor further said. The ambush was the latest in a spate of election-related attacks after the Taliban in a statement warned to disrupt the elections and urged Afghans to avoid casting their votes on the elections day, scheduled for 20 August. "No ballot papers or other voting documents were destroyed," Amin told Reuters. He said the attack took place in an area of desert near the Iranian border. The soldiers were killed when the bomb struck their vehicle, Amin said. At least three election candidates, including President Hamid Karzai's vice-presidential running mate Mohammad Qasim Fahim, have been ambushed in the past week although all escaped unhurt. Several campaign offices have also been bombed, including one in the most secure Afghan province of Panjshir. |
| Posted by:Fred |