KABUL, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- More than 54,000 Afghan security force members will be deployed to ensure security of upcoming parliamentary and district councils elections scheduled to be held later this month, an official said Thursday.
"Afghan National Security and Defense Forces are directed to take security of the parliamentary and district councils elections. Some 54,000 security force members will be deployed to provide security for 5,100 polling centers across the country and will provide security for election candidates and their campaign rallies," Nasrat Rahimi, an interior ministry spokesperson, told reporters.
Rahimi asked the election candidates to share information with the security forces, prior to holding their campaign meetings all over the country.
On Tuesday, 14 people were killed and 42 others wounded when a suicide bombing struck an election rally in the country's eastern Nangarhar province, where Rahimi said security forces would foil it if were informed prior to the meeting.
The first parliamentary election in the post-Taliban Afghanistan was held in 2005 while the second parliamentary polls took place in 2010.
However, the 2015 parliamentary polls, originally set to be held in early 2015 following presidential elections, were repeatedly delayed.
