Gunman kills Afghan provincial election official

    
An Afghan official says a gunman has killed the head of the election commission in an eastern province.                 

Amanullah Aman was collecting rents from shop owners in a bazaar where he owns property on Wednesday, when a gunman on a motorbike shot him in the chest. 
             
Hamidullah Daneshi, the deputy governor of Kunduz province, says Aman died about half an hour later in a hospital.                    

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Kunduz city, but Taliban insurgents frequently target Afghan government officials.   

Earlier this week, the Afghan election season started with authorities accepting nominations for the presidency and provincial council seats.                

The elections, due on April 5, are considered a key test for Afghanistan as U.S.-led foreign troops finish withdrawing next year.           


AP