Taliban denounce Afghan election, warn that rallies face attack

Supporters of Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani attend a rally during the first day of the presidential election campaign in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Taliban on Tuesday denounced as a sham a presidential election due next month, saying their fighters would do everything they could to block it, while urging people to stay away from rallies that could be attacked.

The warning came as both the United States and the Taliban reported progress in talks on a deal that is expected to bring a U.S. commitment to withdraw its troops in exchange for a Taliban promise the country will not be used to plot terrorist attacks.