World news: Insurgents fire rockets at Afghanistan polling stations

Published on Friday 17 September 2010 11:01

Insurgents fired rockets as polling stations formally opened for voting in Afghanistan's parliamentary election today.

The Taliban managed to block at least a couple of stations from opening.

A rocket slammed into the capital Kabul before dawn and three others struck the eastern city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, officials said. There were no reports of casualties.

The rockets were an apparent warning from insurgents, who have threatened in leaflets and through rumours spread through villages that those who voted would be attacked.

About 2,500 candidates are vying for 249 seats in the parliament, and how many Afghans ignore the intimidation and turn out will be one measure of whether the vote is considered a success.

In Nangarhar's Surkh Rud district, the Taliban blocked two voting centres from opening, said a resident. Taliban were patrolling to stop residents from going elsewhere to vote, he said.

In a southern neighbourhood of Kabul, a roadside bomb exploded near a polling station 40 minutes before opening. Voting did not start because of the blast.

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