KABUL: At least seven people were killedand many wounded in a suicide bomb blast in the Afghancapital on Thursday near a gathering of supporters of regionalleader Atta Mohammad Noor, according to the interior ministry.
Noor is the governor of the northern province of Balkh and aleader of the mainly ethnic Tajik Jamiat-i-Islami party.
The explosion was the latest in a wave of violence inAfghanistan that has killed and wounded thousands of civiliansthis year.
Political tensions are up as politicians have begunjockeying for position ahead of presidential elections expectedin 2019.
A spokesman for the interior ministry said the suicidebomber approached a hotel hosting the gathering in the KhairKhana district of Kabul, on foot.
The dead included fivepolicemen and two civilians, and many more were wounded.
President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday sacked the chairman ofthe Independent Election Commission, raising doubts over whetherparliamentary and council ballots scheduled for next year willtake place as planned.