Thread by @AJEnglish

Elections underway in Afghanistan as 9.6 million registered voters go to the polls amid tight security aje.io/pfjca

At least 15 people wounded after bomb blast at Kandahar polling station aje.io/n344u #AfghanElections2019 🇦🇫

#AfghanElections2019 🇦🇫

• Polls open 7AM local time (2:30 GMT)
• 72,000 security personnel deployed
• 49,402 polling booths nationwide
• 410 polling centres closed over security concerns
• Polls close 5PM (14:30 GMT)

aje.io/vtwrg

President Ashraf Ghani casts his vote at Amani high school, near the presidential palace in Kabul aje.io/ld7wb #AfghanElections2019 🇦🇫

"The Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate - with the help of Allah and support of its nation - intend to disrupting this fake process of the American invaders" - Taliban statement #AfghanElections2019 🇦🇫 aje.io/485sl

"Both sides massacre us everywhere. US and Afghan forces have recently killed people." - Mohammed, Kabul resident.

Civilians don't trust gov't to protect their lives as dozens killed in attacks attributed to US-backed Afghan forces aje.io/gymh5 #AfghanElections2019 🇦🇫

"The lack of security is a problem. Personally, I am scared of going out on the election day, but I will go and vote anyway," Ahmad Ali Sadat, Kabul resident aje.io/w9pds #AfghanElections2019 🇦🇫

Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) says it has lost contact with 901 of the country’s 5,373 polling centres aje.io/t54sf #AfghanElections2019 🇦🇫

#AfghanElections2019 🇦🇫 — in pictures aje.io/9c5sr

UPDATE: At least 17 people wounded after a bomb exploded outside a polling station in Kandahar, says hospital official aje.io/tfkuf #AfghanElections2019 🇦🇫

"In all of the polling centres I went to, the turnout has been extremely low. Even when compared to the parliamentary elections in [October] 2018." - Obaid Ali, Kabul-based analyst aje.io/lssw3 #AfghanElections2019 🇦🇫