At least 24 people were killed and 31 injured in a blast near Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's election rally in Parwan province on Tuesday, September 17. The head of the provincial hospital said most of the victims were women and children. 

"Women and children are among them and most of the victims seem to be the civilians. Ambulances are still operating, and the number of casualties may rise," Abdul Qasim Sangin said, Reuters reported.

The Afghan President was reported to be safe and unharmed, the Associated Press news agency quoted Ghani's campaign spokesman, Hamed Aziz, as saying.

Afghan president-elect Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai
Reuters

In a separate incident on the same day, a suicide attack killed at least six people. "We are investigating whether it was a suicide attack or whether a magnetic bomb was attached to a motor-bike," said interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, the Taliban had stated that they would intensify their attacks against Afghan and foreign forces in a bid to stop people from voting in the upcoming presidential elections on September 28. Ghani is running for a second five-year term in the Presidential office.

US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Afghan peace deal, calling the deal "dead" last week after months of negotiations to end the 18-year war in Afghanistan. The deal aimed to guarantee US military withdrawal from the region in exchange of security and intel agreements.

Tensions between the terror organisation and the Afghan government had made negotiations between them difficult, as the Taliban condemns President Ashraf Ghani's government and calls him a US puppet.