KABUL, Afghanistan, Sha'ban 8, 1435, Jun 6, 2014, SPA -- The leading Afghan presidential candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt Friday when two bombs struck his convoy after a campaign event in the capital, a reminder of Afghanistan's fragility as it prepares for its first democratic transfer of power with foreign combat troops set to withdraw by the end of the year, AP reported. Abdullah was unharmed and went on to speak at another campaign rally, but it was a close call. Six civilians were killed and many more were wounded in the attack, which destroyed several cars and storefronts and left the street littered with twisted metal and other rubble. Although there was no immediate claim of responsibility, the bombings bore the hallmarks of Taliban militants who have vowed to disrupt the election as part of their fight against the Western-backed government. "My car was the target," Abdullah, 53, told Tolo TV. "It was a big conspiracy against me." At the rally, Abdullah told the crowd that his "vehicle was destroyed, but fortunately we escaped it unharmed. Unfortunately a number of our security guards were wounded in the incident, but thankfully their injuries are not so serious." The bombings came just over a week before a runoff vote in which Afghans are to choose a new leader to replace outgoing President Hamid Karzai. The Taliban have staged a series of high-profile attacks this year, though the first round of voting on April 5 was relatively peaceful. The attempt on Abdullah's life appeared to be the first direct attack on a candidate, as earlier ones targeted only campaign offices and workers. If one of the candidates were to die, that would have huge implications not only for Afghanistan's stability but for the Obama administration's hopes for a signed security agreement in time to make preparations for keeping about 10,000 U.S. troops in the country for another two years. The Afghan constitution says new elections must be held in the event of a candidate's death. Karzai condemned the bombings, saying they were staged by "enemies of Afghanistan who don't want free elections." Abdullah had just addressed a rally at a wedding hall and was heading toward a campaign event at the Intercontinental Hotel when his convoy was hit along a street in a commercial area of western Kabul. The attack took place about noon, when many Afghans were indoors for Friday prayers. -- SPA 18:38 LOCAL TIME 15:38 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1240906