Four killed in Afghanistan rocket attacks

[Waqas 48]

KANDAHAR: Rockets fired by militants claimed the lives of four security forces in Ghormach district of the northwest Faryab province on the voting day Thursday, an official said.

"The rockets fired by rebels left four personnel of the security forces and injured a driver of election commission," head of election commission body in the province Amanullah Aman said.

However, he added that the people have been using their franchise with fervor.

Moreover, an explosion in Ali Shir district of the eastern Khost province injured two women who were going to cast their votes.

Taliban have vowed to disrupt the country''s second presidential and provincial councils'' election amid tight security provided by more than 200,000 Afghan and international forces based in Afghanistan.

Earlier militants laid ambush and killed a district chief in the northern Baghlan province of Afghanistan Thursday.

"The rebels during an ambush killed Mohammad Afzal the police chief of Baghlan-e-Markazi on Thursday," head of hospital in the area Khalil Nargoi told Xinhua.

The attack occurred while people are going to elect the country''s president in the post-Taliban nation through direct voting.

However, a militant Safiullah Habib who claims to speak for Hekmatyar-led radical outfit Islamic party the Hizb-e-Islami in talks with media from undisclosed location claimed the outfit''s fighters carried out the attack.

Taliban fighters who vowed to disrupt the voting process have also carried out rocket attacks and bombing in parts of the country including capital city Kabul.