Blast kills leading parliamentary candidate, wounds 8 in Afghanistan

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan - A bomb ripped through the campaign office of leading parliamentary candidate Abdul Jabar Qahraman in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah of Helmand, killing him and injuring eight others, a police official said on Wednesday.

"The blast happened at around 10:00 am local time today when Jabar Qahraman and some of his supporters were inside his office, killing him and injuring eight others," the official who declined to be identified told Xinhua.

However, spokesman for Helmand provincial government Omar Zawak said that Qahraman succumbed to his wounds after receiving critical injuries. He also noted that three suspects had been arrested and an investigation was underway.

The murder of Qahraman brings the number of killed parliamentary candidates to 10 in militants attacks since the beginning of election campaigns on Sept 28 in the insurgency-plagued country.

More than 2,500 candidates are contesting for the 249-seat Wolesi Jirga or the lower house of Afghan parliament slated for Oct 20 amid tight security.