After killing a senior Afghan official on Wednesday, the Taliban used their Twitter account to claim responsibility for the death of Amanullah Aman, according to the Washington Post.
Two gunmen shot at Aman -- head of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) in Kunduz province -- as he was walking into his office in northern Afghanistan, noticeably as the country prepares for next year's presidential election.
Following the attack, the Taliban revealed on Twitter that Aman "was killed by our Mujahideen" in Dari.
امروز ۹ بجه قبل از ظهر درمنطقهء تخارستان شهر کندز رئيس کميسيون انتخابات اين ولایت اينجينيرمحمدامان ازطرف مجاهدين به ضرب ګلوله به قتل رسيد .
— zabihullahmujahid (@zabihmujahid) September 18, 2013
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai condemned them for killing Aman as an attempt to interrupt the electoral process.
"The Taliban, at the dictation of their foreign masters, wants to prevent our people from choosing their destiny through the election," he said.
The registration process was opened to voters this week and the election is scheduled for April 5 next year.
Aman's colleagues said he was a hardworking official and that his death is a reminder of the importance of much-needed security in the region.
"The killing prompts us to once again urge the security forces to provide a secure atmosphere, both for the election workers and the voters," said Noor Ahmad Noor, spokesman for the IEC.
Yusuf Nuristani, the commission's chair, said he was concerned about safety in a recent interview with the Washington Post.
"It's my biggest worry," he said. "There is still some inability of our security forces."
Nuristani added that 259 of the 7,000 polling centers are out of the government's control.
Despite the repeated attacks and threats from the Taliban, Karzai emphasized they will not succeed at affecting the election.
"This kind of crime by the Taliban will not weaken the will of the Afghans and will not deter the convocation of a nationwide election," Karzai said.
The fundamentalist group has made several headlines in the past week alone after carrying out the deaths of several prominent Afghan people, including a high-ranking police official and famous author, in addition to bombing multiple parts of the country.
