Taliban Bombers Kill At Least 48 in Afghanistan

A pair of Taliban suicide bombers killed at least 48 people on Tuesday in the Afghan city of Charikar and capital of Kabul, with the bombers targeting a rally for President Ashraf Ghani. Officials say Ghani was unhurt.

The larger of the two bombings was at a police camp in the area, conspicuously near a billboard of the president. The police chief says an old man riding a motorcycle entered the area and detonated his explosives, killing at least 26 and wounding 42.

The Kabul attack was near the city’s center, and appears to have targeted a military recruitment center. Twenty-two were killed in this attack and 38 wounded. Six of the slain were members of the security forces.

With Afghan elections 11 days away, polling places and campaign rallies are likely to be growing targets for the Taliban, who have always been keen to disrupt the votes, and have repeatedly warned Afghans to stay away from the polls.