Violence as Afghan election campaign closes

Armed police escorted trucks carrying ballots to polling stations today in preparation for weekend legislative elections in Afghanistan, as militant attacks kept tension high and a purported Taliban spokesman urged people to boycott the landmark vote.

Campaigning was forbidden after 6am local time – 48 hours before polls open on Sunday – but some vehicles advertising candidates still drove through the streets of Kabul, which were lined with election posters slapped on walls and trees.