Blast Rocks Afghan Electoral Building

20 August 2004 -- An explosion rocked an election commission building in western Afghanistan this evening, in the latest suspected attack ahead of presidential elections in October.

United Nations spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva said no one was injured in the blast in the city of Farah. He said the origin of the blast is unknown. But Almeida e Silva said "it was probably an attack."

He said that the blast had caused minor damage to the building and that an investigation had been launched.

Attacks on electoral workers ahead of the 9 October election have increased recently.

(AFP)