Afghanistan postpones elections in Kandahar after attack

Afghanistan yesterday postponed legislative elections in Kandahar province, after a Taliban-claimed attack on a US-Afghan security meeting killed a powerful police chief. In a statement, a spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani said it was decided to delay tomorrow's parliamentary ballot in Kandahar province by one week, following an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council. He said the Independent Election Commission will announce the new date.

Preparations for the vote in Kandahar were thrown into



turmoil yesterday when a gunman wearing a security forces uniform opened fire on a gathering of US and Afghan officials. General Scott Miller, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, escaped unhurt, but Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq was killed along with the head of the provincial intelligence unit and an Afghan journalist. Another 13 people were injured in the assault inside the heavily fortified provincial governor's compound, including the governor and two Americans.