A roadside bomb killed at least 12 people and wounded 26 in the western Afghan province of Herat today, a security official said.
A woman and child were among those killed in the blast and the district police chief was seriously wounded, security commander for Herat, General Esmatullah Alizai, said.
The Taliban, who have vowed to disrupt this month's presidential election in Afghanistan, were behind the attack, a spokesman, Qari Mohammad Yousuf, said. The district police chief, Khoja Issa, was the target, he added.
Violence in Afghanistan has spiked in the past month as the United States and its Nato-led allies have boosted troop numbers to secure restive areas of the country ahead of the Aug. 20 vote.
Three Americans were among five foreign troops killed in Afghanistan on Sunday.
Reuters
