Talibans cut off voters' fingers

This weekend's presidential poll in Afghanistan was 'relatively peaceful,' says a BBC report.

However, peaceful may not be the right term to pin down the situation as at least 50 people were murdered and another dozen mutilated by Talibans, all because they dared to exercise their fundamental right to vote for a leader.

In order to prevent fraud during the elections, government officials decided that whoever voted must dip their finger in ink . The decision backfired after 11 people were kidnapped by Talibans and had their inked fingers cut off with sharp cutters.

'These ordinary Afghans were exercising their fundamental right to determine the future path of their country through voting and not through violence and intimidation. By their vote, they already defeated those who promote terror and violence,' said the UN mission in the country.

Despite the violence surrounding the elections, as many as 60% of Afghanistan's eligible voters came to vote between former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai.

The winner and new president will not be announced until the end of July.