Bomb kills 12 in Herat
A roadside bomb attack claimed by the Taliban killed at least 12 people in west Afghanistan's most important city on Monday, officials said, amid worsening security before a presidential poll this month. The remote-controlled bomb may have been aimed at a local police chief but killed mainly passers-by when it went off during rush hour near a blood bank in Herat, a relatively peaceful city near the Iranian border and an important commercial centre.
Violence has escalated across Afghanistan before the Aug. 20 presidential poll, seen as a key test for Washington and Kabul. The Taliban have vowed to disrupt the election and have called on Afghans to boycott the ballot, the second direct vote for president since the Islamists were toppled in 2001.
Herat, one of Afghanistan's three largest cities, is usually a safe and prosperous centre because of strong trade links with neighbouring Iran and Turkmenistan.
We ask for your prayers for people in Herat and across Afghanistan as the country prepares for important elections later this month. Please pray that acts of violence would not hinder the country's progress towards a peaceful and prosperous future.