49 civilians among 254 killed on polling day

KABUL (Pajhwok): Security officials on Sunday said about 49 civilians, 29 security officials and 176 militants have been killed during separate incidents of violence across the country on the election day (Saturday).

Another at least 100 civilians, 74 security men and 93 insurgents were wounded in the violence, the officials said.

About seven million Afghans on Saturday braved bomb blasts, rocket and gun attacks to elect their new president.

Defence Ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi told reporters in Kabul that 33 civilians were killed and 63 others wounded in militant attacks including bomb blasts and rocket fire.

His Public Health and children were among 115 people brought to public sector hospitals after they were injured in incidents of violence on the Election Day.  

Azimi said 18 Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were killed and 74 others sustained injuries during election day’s incidents.

Over the past 24 hours, he claimed, 176 militants had been killed and 93 others wounded and 10 more detained by security forces.

He said militants launched 273 attacks in total, including bomb blasts, ambushes, rocket fire and magnetic bomb assaults in various parts of the country. 

Interior Minister Mohammad Omar Daudzai said at least 11 policemen were killed and some wounded during the election process. He gave no figures for those injured.

Independent Election Commission (IEC attacks in Samangan, Herat and Uruzgan provinces.

The attacks also claimed the lives of nine election observers in different parts of the country on Saturday, he said.

The Taliban have said they carried out a total of 868 attacks in different parts of the country, killing and wounding dozens of government forces and officials. 

The rebels said they lost only nine fighters to clashes with security forces on the election day, when 11 more fighters sustained injuries.

mrh/ma

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