Afghan election officials extended voting Thursday until everyone waiting in line had a chance to cast their ballots. The government ordered a ban on media coverage of incidents of violence in an effort to "ensure the wide participation of the Afghan people" as 300,000 NATO and Afghan soldiers were out in force to safeguard voters.
There were some instances of violence on voting day: an American service member was killed in a mortar strike in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said. It did not say where the attack took place.
Major fighting continued for a second day in the city of Baghlan, north of Kabul, security sources said. Rockets were fired at the town throughout the day, a day after heavy fighting that claimed the life of the city's police chief, the sources said. Afghans in Baghlan are afraid to leave their homes to cast their ballots, Afghan security officials said.