Taliban attacks kill 48, Afghan leader unhurt as bomber targets rally

Taliban suicide bombers killed at least 48 people in two separate attacks on Tuesday, in the wake of collapsed peace talks with the United States and just 11 days before Afghanistan's presidential elections.

The deadliest took place in Charikar, the capital of central Parwan province, near an election rally held by President Ashraf Ghani.

The Taliban have vowed to violently disrupt to poll.

The blast killed 26 people.

Forty-two more were injured.

(SOUNDBITE) (Dari) POLICE CHIEF OF PARWAN PROVINCE, MOHAMMAD MAHFOOZ WALIZADA, SAYING:

"When the people were entering the police camp, an old man riding a motorcycle arrived on the highway and detonated his explosives, causing casualties. His dead body remains on the ground."

In the capital Kabul, more bloodshed.

There, a man blew himself up killing 22 people.

Another 38 were wounded.

(SOUNDBITE) (Dari) A BLAST VICTIM, MUSTAFA GHIASI, SAYING:

"I was waiting at the entrance of the recruitment centre when a man approached me and said let me get inside. I was standing behind two men in the line when suddenly a blast occurred."

The Taliban says it carried out both attacks.

Afghanistan's president called them the "coward enemy" for targeting civilians.

Pakistan, which denies accusations that it shelters the Taliban, also condemned the attack.