Suicide rickshaw bomber: Pre-election attack leaves 15 dead in Afghanistan
- 9 years ago
A suicide bombing in northern Afghanistan left more than a dozen people dead and many more injured on Tuesday, mere weeks before presidential elections are set to take place on April 5, according to a BBC report.
The attack targeted a busy market in Maymana, the capital city of Faryab province, where hundreds of farmers were doing business with villagers on a bazaar day.
The assailant was riding a motorcycle laden with explosives and detonated the bombs near the entrance of the market. The bombing led to at least 15 deaths and another 27 injuries. All the victims were identified as civilians, including women and children.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing and the assailant's motives were not clear at the time of the report. The region, however, is known to be a Taliban stronghold. The militant group had pledged to launch attacks on polling staff, voters and security forces in order to halt the presidential election, which the insurgents said will be manipulated by the United States.
"It [the US] will install a head of state who appears to be an Afghan but will have American mentality, vision, deeds, creed and ideals while openly being in conflict with the clear teachings of the sacred religion of Islam," read a statement released by the Taliban earlier this month.
At least 31 civilians and 26 security personnel were killed in an election day attack in 2009.
The attack targeted a busy market in Maymana, the capital city of Faryab province, where hundreds of farmers were doing business with villagers on a bazaar day.
The assailant was riding a motorcycle laden with explosives and detonated the bombs near the entrance of the market. The bombing led to at least 15 deaths and another 27 injuries. All the victims were identified as civilians, including women and children.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing and the assailant's motives were not clear at the time of the report. The region, however, is known to be a Taliban stronghold. The militant group had pledged to launch attacks on polling staff, voters and security forces in order to halt the presidential election, which the insurgents said will be manipulated by the United States.
"It [the US] will install a head of state who appears to be an Afghan but will have American mentality, vision, deeds, creed and ideals while openly being in conflict with the clear teachings of the sacred religion of Islam," read a statement released by the Taliban earlier this month.
At least 31 civilians and 26 security personnel were killed in an election day attack in 2009.