Eight election commission employees killed in Taliban attack in Afghanistan

KABUL: At least eight Afghan election commission officials were killed in a Taliban attack in southern Afghanistan, said reports on Sunday. 

Zabiullah Sadaat, an Independent Election Commission (IEC) spokesman, told AFP that the Taliban used explosive-filled vehicles to attack Maruf district centre in southern Kandahar province on Saturday night. 

Those who were killed in the attack were stationed in the government offices inside the district to register voters for the upcoming presidential polls in the war-torn country.

Qasim Afghan, a Kandahar Police spokesman, also informed that some security forces personnel were also killed in the attack.

The sudden Taliban attack cut the communication between the centres of the district. 

The Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack. 

Afghanistan's twice-delayed presidential election is now slated for September 28 as the United States tries to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban.

The Taliban killed at least 25 members of a pro-government militia in northern Afghanistan on Saturday– the day when Washington and the Taliban opened a fresh round of negotiations in Doha aimed at ending America's longest war. 

Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on the militiamen in Baghlan province.