A bomb blast inside a mosque in eastern Afghanistan that was being used as a voter registration centre killed at least 12 people and wounded 33, officials said yesterday.
Habib Shah Ansari, the provincial head of public health, confirmed the toll from the attack, which took place in the city of Khost, the capital of the province of the same name.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both the Taliban and a local Islamic State affiliate reject democratic elections and have targeted them in the past.
IS is not known to have a presence in Khost, but has expanded its footprint into other areas in recent years.
Last month, an Islamic State suicide bomber attacked a voter registration centre in Kabul, killing 60 people and wounding at least 130 others. Afghanistan plans to hold elections in October, the first since 2014.
The Taliban and IS have launched a relentless wave of attacks since the start of the year, killing scores of civilians in the capital, Kabul, and elsewhere.
Afghan security forces have struggled to combat the groups since the US and NATO concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, switching to a counterterrorism and support role.
