In Afghanistan, polling is being held for Parliamentary elections today amidst fears of violence. The voting began at 8 am and will continue till 5 pm Indian standard time. Around 2,500 candidates, including about 400 women, are in the fray for 249 seats all over the country. Altogether 68 seats are reserved for women candidates. Polling will take place at 5,500 polling centres while more than a thousand centers will remain closed because of security threats. Tight security arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair polls with 4 lakh security personnel, including foreign troops, keeping a vigil. Taliban has threatened to attack polling stations and called upon people not to participate in the elections. A rocket explosion struck central Kabul in the early hours on Saturday but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Concerns of fraud in the polls exist. The United States has expressed serious security concerns over the Afghan elections. US special envoy to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke said the election was likely to be flawed but it was significant that it was taking place. President Hamid Karzai has also accepted that there will be irregularities and allegations of fraud under the present circumstances. Meanwhile, a strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region of north-eastern Afghanistan last night, causing buildings in the capital Kabul to shake for about a minute. There were no immediate reports of damage from towns and settlements closer to the epicentre which was 265 kms north-east of Kabul.