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KABUL (Reuters) – A candidate for the Afghan elections was killed Wednesday by a bomb under his chair in Helmand province in the south of the country, officials said.
Abdul Jabar Qahraman, who was preparing to participate in Saturday's parliamentary poll, was killed in the blast, a senior government official said.
Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the governor of Helmand, said seven other people were injured.
"A bomb was placed under Qahraman's chair in his campaign office. We are investigating the incident, "Zwak said.
Qahraman is the tenth candidate to be killed in the last two months. Two others were kidnapped and four others wounded by militant extremist Islamists.
Twenty-two other people were killed at an election rally in Takhar province (north-east) last week.
The Afghan Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack that killed Qahraman.
The Islamist group has called on Afghans to boycott the parliamentary elections, which have fallen far behind, and has pledged to continue its fight against the Afghan government supported by the West.
Report by Mohammad Stanekzai and Hamid Shalizi; Edited by Paul Tait
