A Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up outside Afghanistan's interior ministry in central Kabul on Wednesday, killing himself and at least six policemen, the latest in a string of attacks ahead of Afghanistan's April 5 presidential election, according to the Associated Press.
Taliban insurgents also killed nine civilians including a provincial council candidate in northern Afghanistan, local officials said, the AP reported.
The Islamist Taliban have promised to do everything in their power to disrupt the April 5 vote when Afghans elect a successor to the incumbent president, Hamid Karzai, who is barred by the constitution from running again, according to the AP.
The Kabul attack came on the last day of campaigning for an election that is intended to mark the first democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan's history, the AP reported.
"A suicide bomber wearing a military uniform ... detonated his explosives at the main gate of the interior ministry," the ministry said in a statement, according to the AP. "As soon as the bomber saw some policemen he detonated his explosives. It was impossible for him to enter the facility with the suicide vest," a ministry spokesman added.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in an e-mail, saying the bomber had penetrated a third ring of security at the ministry before setting off the blast, the AP reported.
The Taliban have stepped up the pace of attacks in the run-up to the vote, targeting those organizing the election and foreigners, but campaign rallies have been largely undisturbed, according to the AP.
In the northern province of Sar-e-Pul, militants shot dead nine people, including provincial council candidate Hussain Nazari, after kidnapping them two days ago, officials said, the AP reported.
Global powers are closely watching the election which comes at a crucial time in Afghanistan as most foreign troops prepare to pull out, according to the AP.
In a separate statement, the Taliban warned voters against participating in what they described as a "fake election process," the AP reported.
"The Islamic Emirates announces one last time that all elements of the fake elections will be under our Mujahideen attack," they said in a statement, according to the AP. "Every official and every voting center will be in danger and a surge of attacks will start all over the country."
