Kabul, September 19: The number of violent incidents during Afghanistan’s parliamentary vote was higher than during last year’s presidential poll but significantly fewer were killed and injured, NATO said today.
A total of 485 violent incidents took place yesterday, when Afghans went to the polls beneath a shadow of Taliban threats to attack polling stations, election workers, security forces and any civilians who dared to vote.
The figures were provided by NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which put the number of violent incidents on August 20 last year, the day of the presidential election, at 479.
A total of 22 people were killed yesterday, it said, compared to almost 50 on election day last year, which was widely characterised as Afghanistan’s most violent day since the current war against the Taliban began in late 2001
–Agencies