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| Taliban Announce on Twitter the Killing of Election Official | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban insurgents killed an Afghan election official on Wednesday and the group’s spokesman then announced the assassination on the social-networking site Twitter. | KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban insurgents killed an Afghan election official on Wednesday and the group’s spokesman then announced the assassination on the social-networking site Twitter. |
| It was the first attack by the insurgents against an official of the Independent Election Commission in recent years, officials at the agency said, and apparently the first time the Taliban claimed an assassination in a Tweet. | It was the first attack by the insurgents against an official of the Independent Election Commission in recent years, officials at the agency said, and apparently the first time the Taliban claimed an assassination in a Tweet. |
| The deputy police chief in Kunduz Province, Ebadullah Talwar, said that two gunmen riding on a motorcycle opened fire on Mohammad Amanullah, the head of the Kunduz office of the commission, at 8:45 a.m., and he died after arriving at a hospital. | The deputy police chief in Kunduz Province, Ebadullah Talwar, said that two gunmen riding on a motorcycle opened fire on Mohammad Amanullah, the head of the Kunduz office of the commission, at 8:45 a.m., and he died after arriving at a hospital. |
| Within an hour, Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban, issued a Tweet in Dari boasting of the attack. | Within an hour, Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban, issued a Tweet in Dari boasting of the attack. |
| “At 9 a.m. this morning, Engineer Mohammad Aman head of Kunduz Independent Election Commission was killed by our Mujahedeen in Takharistan area of Kunduz city,” the Taliban Tweet read, using a shortened version of the victim’s name. | “At 9 a.m. this morning, Engineer Mohammad Aman head of Kunduz Independent Election Commission was killed by our Mujahedeen in Takharistan area of Kunduz city,” the Taliban Tweet read, using a shortened version of the victim’s name. |
| A spokesman for the commission in Kabul confirmed the killing but said that, despite the Taliban claim, it was too early to conclude who was behind Mr. Amanullah’s killing. | A spokesman for the commission in Kabul confirmed the killing but said that, despite the Taliban claim, it was too early to conclude who was behind Mr. Amanullah’s killing. |
| “We will wait until the investigation is completed by the security organs and then say who was behind this attack,” said Noor Ahmad Noor, a spokesman for the commission. “He was a noble person and a good colleague.” | “We will wait until the investigation is completed by the security organs and then say who was behind this attack,” said Noor Ahmad Noor, a spokesman for the commission. “He was a noble person and a good colleague.” |
| Mr. Amanullah had run the commission’s office in the northern province of Kunduz since 2003, Mr. Noor said. | Mr. Amanullah had run the commission’s office in the northern province of Kunduz since 2003, Mr. Noor said. |
| Last March, the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, denounced the planned April 2014 elections, calling them “a waste of time, nothing more.” | Last March, the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, denounced the planned April 2014 elections, calling them “a waste of time, nothing more.” |
| “As to the deceiving drama under the name of elections 2014, our pious people will not tire themselves out, nor will they participate in it,” Mr. Omar said in a statement e-mailed to journalists last March for the Eid holiday. | “As to the deceiving drama under the name of elections 2014, our pious people will not tire themselves out, nor will they participate in it,” Mr. Omar said in a statement e-mailed to journalists last March for the Eid holiday. |
| However, the Taliban leader did not explicitly threaten election workers and during previous election campaigns officials with the election commission were not singled out for attack. | However, the Taliban leader did not explicitly threaten election workers and during previous election campaigns officials with the election commission were not singled out for attack. |
| “We did not have any cases of attacks on I.E.C. staff in at least the past two years,” Mr. Noor said. | “We did not have any cases of attacks on I.E.C. staff in at least the past two years,” Mr. Noor said. |
| Officials of the commission have had far more problems from government harassment in past years, but the current panel has been criticized by opponents as being dominated by political appointees close to President Hamid Karzai. The head of the panel, Mohammad Yousef Nuristani, for instance, is a former spokesman for the president. | Officials of the commission have had far more problems from government harassment in past years, but the current panel has been criticized by opponents as being dominated by political appointees close to President Hamid Karzai. The head of the panel, Mohammad Yousef Nuristani, for instance, is a former spokesman for the president. |
| Mr. Mujahid, the Taliban tweeter, has long used the Internet to distribute his messages, through Web sites, a Google e-mail account and Facebook pages. He began using Twitter on Aug. 26, 2012, and in recent months has become much more active. | |
| Most of his 1,468 followers are journalists, along with a smattering of Western military and diplomatic officials. It is believed that none of his previous 1,770 Tweets have claimed responsibility for an assassination. | Most of his 1,468 followers are journalists, along with a smattering of Western military and diplomatic officials. It is believed that none of his previous 1,770 Tweets have claimed responsibility for an assassination. |
| Officials at Twitter could not immediately be reached to comment on the Taliban’s use of its service. | Officials at Twitter could not immediately be reached to comment on the Taliban’s use of its service. |
| The insurgents’ effort to draw attention to its assassination of an election official may mean the group has decided to try to disrupt the elections more vigorously than they have in the past. | The insurgents’ effort to draw attention to its assassination of an election official may mean the group has decided to try to disrupt the elections more vigorously than they have in the past. |
| Although the election for president, as well as for provincial council members, is not until April 5, the three-week period for candidates to declare for president began Monday. So far, no one has made such a declaration as political coalitions jockey among themselves to decide whom to support. | Although the election for president, as well as for provincial council members, is not until April 5, the three-week period for candidates to declare for president began Monday. So far, no one has made such a declaration as political coalitions jockey among themselves to decide whom to support. |
| Increased violence toward election officials could deter some voters from the polls for an election that is considered an important milestone by the international community as foreign military forces withdraw. | Increased violence toward election officials could deter some voters from the polls for an election that is considered an important milestone by the international community as foreign military forces withdraw. |
| Only a few weeks ago, the I.E.C. announced that it faced a critical shortage of women to carry out body searches at female polling stations to deter suicide bombings. | |
Reporting was contributed by an Afghan employee of The New York Times in Kunduz. | Reporting was contributed by an Afghan employee of The New York Times in Kunduz. |