KABUL (Reuters) – At least 20 people were killed and 50 injured in a powerful explosion followed by a gun battle at vice presidential candidate Amrullah Saleh’s office on Sunday in Afghanistan’s capital city Kabul, the government said in a statement on Monday.

Saleh, a running mate of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, was slightly injured in the attack. The interior ministry said Afghan forces shot four militants and rescued over 150 civilians during the six-hour-long operation. </s> At least 20 people were killed and 50 injured in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Sunday in a suicide bombing and gun battle at vice presidential candidate Amrullah Saleh’s office, the government said in a statement on Monday.

Afghan forces killed three militants who entered Saleh’s four-story office after a suicide bomber blew himself up during rush hour, said the interior ministry.

More than 150 civilians were rescued during the six-hour-long operation, said interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi.

The attack that came only hours after Ghani and Saleh, along with more than a dozen Afghan politicians, launched their two-month long election campaign.

Saleh, a running mate of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, was slightly injured in the attack. </s> Kabul: A large explosion hit the office of the Afghan President's running mate on Sunday as gunmen stormed the building and remained holed up inside, officials said.

The attack in the capital, Kabul, killed at least two people and came on the first day of campaigning for presidential elections, scheduled for late September.

Vice-presidential candidate and former intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh was evacuated from the building and moved to a safe location, said Nasrat Rahimi, the interior ministry spokesman.

He said that while the gun battle was ongoing, security forces had cleared the first and second floors of the building. Two attackers were still inside the building late on Sunday afternoon, with another killed in the shootout. </s> KABUL: At least 20 people were killed and 50 injured in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Sunday (Jul 28) in a suicide bombing and gun battle at vice presidential candidate Amrullah Saleh's office, the government said in a statement on Monday.

Saleh, a running mate of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, was slightly injured in the attack.

Afghan forces killed three militants who entered Saleh's four-storey office after a suicide bomber blew himself up during rush hour, said the interior ministry.

More than 150 civilians were rescued during the six-hour-long operation, said interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack that came only hours after Ghani and Saleh, along with more than a dozen Afghan politicians, launched their two-month long election campaign.

Presidential polls are expected to be held on Sep 28 but the security situation has been deteriorating across the country with the Taliban and Islamic State fighters mounting near-daily attack on Afghan forces, government employees and civilians. </s> A massive blast, thought to be a car bomb, was detonated before gunmen stormed the vice-presidential candidate’s offices in Kabul RAHMAT GUL/AP

At least 20 people were killed and scores injured in an attack on the office of President Ghani’s running mate, as Afghanistan’s presidential election campaign got off to a bloody start on Sunday.

The onslaught began with a massive blast, thought to be a car bomb, outside the Kabul office of Green Trend, the civil society organisation of Amrullah Saleh, the vice-presidential candidate. Gunmen then stormed the building, triggering a siege that lasted several hours.

Mr Saleh, the former intelligence chief, was reported to be slightly injured as staff fled the building. No group has yet admitted carrying out the attack but the Taliban and Islamic State, who have both carried out attacks in the capital, have rejected the elections. </s> Afghan VP candidate injured as Kabul blast kills two, wounds another 25

A powerful explosion hit central Kabul on Sunday, wounding Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s running mate in the upcoming election and killing at least two others, officials said.At least 25 civilians were injured in the blast that occurred on a road near the private Ghalib University and Shahid Square, a four-way intersection, interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said. Rahimi said that immediately after the blast, gunmen had entered the university building and were targeting the main political office of the vice presidential candidate, Amrullah Saleh. Saleh was wounded by shrapnel before being safely evacuated from the office of his Afghan Green Trend Party. The party office is located adjacent to the university.

Photographs shared by a government official showed Saleh sitting in a garden with blood stains on his right arm. He was surrounded by security guards. Saleh is an uncompromising opponent of the Taliban and other hardline Islamist groups. Ghani, Saleh and over a dozen other Afghan politicians launched their presidential campaign on Sunday. Ghani said in a tweet: “My brother, true son of the Afghan soil and first VP candidate of my electoral team, Amrullah Saleh has survived a complex attack by enemies of the state. We are relieved and thank the almighty that the attack has failed.” Saleh, who commands strong support among Afghanistan’s minority ethnic Tajiks, was not immediately available for comment.

SEE ALSO :Taliban kills eight poll commission staff in south Afghanistan-officials

“The explosion hit a very busy part of the city. Our rescue teams have been rushed to the site,” Rahimi said. No militant group has claimed responsibility. Last week, Kabul was hit by three consecutive bomb blasts claimed by Islamic State and the Taliban, killing 11 people and injuring more than 40.

We are undertaking a survey to help us improve our content for you. This will only take 1 minute of your time, please give us your feedback by clicking HERE. All responses will be treated with the confidentiality that they deserve. </s> Image copyright Reuters Image caption No group has yet to claim responsibility for the attack

At least 20 people have been killed in an attack targeting the Kabul office of vice-presidential election candidate Amrullah Saleh.

Fifty other people were injured in the attack on the Green Trend office in the capital on Sunday.

The violence came on the first day of campaigning for Afghanistan's upcoming presidential elections.

Mr Saleh, who was slightly injured, is the running mate of President Ashraf Ghani.

The attack saw a suicide bomber detonate a car packed with explosives near the office building, said a spokesman for the interior ministry.

Several militants then entered the office and remained for about six hours before being killed by security forces.

About 150 civilians were rescued from inside the building where Green Trend - a social, grassroots and anti-corruption organisation led by Mr Saleh - is located.

President Ashraf Ghani had earlier on Sunday said that "peace was coming" to the nation.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Afghanistan's election is expected to take place in September, but has already been postponed twice. </s> KABUL (Reuters) - A powerful explosion hit central Kabul on Sunday, wounding Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s running mate in the upcoming election and killing at least two others, officials said.

At least 25 civilians were injured in the blast that occurred on a road near the private Ghalib University and Shahid Square, a four-way intersection, interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said.

Rahimi said that immediately after the blast, gunmen had entered the university building and were targeting the main political office of the vice presidential candidate, Amrullah Saleh. Saleh was wounded by shrapnel before being safely evacuated from the office of his Afghan Green Trend Party.

The party office is located adjacent to the university.

Photographs shared by a government official showed Saleh sitting in a garden with blood stains on his right arm. He was surrounded by security guards.

Saleh is an uncompromising opponent of the Taliban and other hardline Islamist groups.

Ghani, Saleh and over a dozen other Afghan politicians launched their presidential campaign on Sunday.

Ghani said in a tweet: “My brother, true son of the Afghan soil and first VP candidate of my electoral team, Amrullah Saleh has survived a complex attack by enemies of the state. We are relieved and thank the almighty that the attack has failed.”

Saleh, who commands strong support among Afghanistan’s minority ethnic Tajiks, was not immediately available for comment.

“The explosion hit a very busy part of the city. Our rescue teams have been rushed to the site,” Rahimi said.

Last week, Kabul was hit by three consecutive bomb blasts claimed by Islamic State and the Taliban, killing 11 people and injuring more than 40. </s> Kabul [Afghanistan], July 28 (ANI): Former National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief and Vice-Presidential candidate Amrullah Saleh survived a major attack on his residence here on Sunday that claimed the lives of at least seven people and left 15 others injured.

"My brother, true son of the Afghan soil and first VP candidate of my electoral team, @AmrullahSaleh2 has survived a complex attack by enemies of the state. We are relieved and thank the almighty that attack has failed," Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani wrote on Twitter.

 

The car explosion took place at Shaheed Circle in Kabul's Police District 4 (PD4) at around 4.40 pm (local time).

According to Afghan journalist Bilal Sarwary, three attackers were involved in the attack.

"At least 3 attackers are involved in this complex attack. A car bomb was detonated. At least 2 attackers there. Afghan Special Forces are now in charge of the operation. The office of Amrullah Saleh was attacked, multiple sources tell me," he tweeted.

"At least 7 people killed. At least 15 people wounded. I picked up 6 bodies right after a car bomb, a police officer in PD4 in Kabul Cory tells me," the journalist said in another tweet.

Sources told TOLOnews that the blast was a car bomb targetting the office of Afghanistan Green Trend, a political movement run by Saleh, who is also a former National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief.

Saleh, who Ghani's running mate, is a vocal critic of Pakistan and its manipulation of Afghanistan through the Taliban.

Many believe that Saleh's inclusion in the presidential electoral team helped bolster Ghani's prospects among the country's minorities.

Saleh has survived several attacks by the Taliban and the latest incident is suspected to be the group's handiwork. (ANI)
Gunfire and an explosion kills 20 and injures over 50 in an attack at the Kabul office of the Vice Presidential candidate Amrullah Saleh, who was slightly injured in the attack.