Taliban Attacks Afghan Election Office; 2 Killed

Afghan policemen stand guard near the site of an attack in Kabul, March 25, 2014.

Two Afghan police officers were killed Tuesday in a Taliban attack on an election office in the capital, Kabul.

Suicide bombers detonated explosives outside the Independent Election Commission office, while gunmen stormed the building in a fierce battle with security guards.

An Afghan government spokesman said five militants were also killed.

The attack was close to the home of Ashraf Ghani, a leading candidate in the country's April 5 presidential election. Ghani, a former World Bank official, was not home at the time.

Taliban insurgents have vowed to disrupt the upcoming vote, which is considered key to Afghanistan's stability after international troops end their combat mission at the end of this year. If successful, the poll would mark the country's first democratic transfer of power.


Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.