48 killed in Taleban suicide bombings

Kabul - The first attack saw a motorcyclist detonate a suicide bomb at a checkpoint leading to a rally.

Taleban suicide bombers killed at least 48 people and wounded dozens more in two blasts on Tuesday — one at a campaign rally for the president and the other in Kabul — with the insurgents warning of more violence ahead of elections.
The first attack saw a motorcyclist detonate a suicide bomb at a checkpoint leading to a rally where President Ashraf Ghani was addressing supporters in Parwan province, just north of the capital, killing 26 and wounding 42.
Just over an hour later, another blast, also claimed by the Taleban, rocked central Kabul near the US embassy. Authorities initially did not give casualty figures, but later said 22 people had been killed and a further 38 wounded.
The explosions came after US President Donald Trump abruptly ended talks with the Taleban earlier this month over a deal that would have allowed the US to begin withdrawing troops from its longest war.
In a statement claiming responsibility for both blasts, Taleban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack near Ghani’s rally was deliberately aimed at disrupting the September 28 elections.
“We already warned people not to attend election rallies, if they suffer any losses that is their own responsibility,” the statement said.
An image from the scene near Ghani’s rally showed the remains of a burnt motorcycle, with a body on top, covered by a blanket and next to a badly damaged police car.
Women and children were among the causalities, Parwan hospital director Abdul Qasim Sangin said.