The US-backed Afghanistan government has insisted that a presidential election will go ahead despite ongoing violence.
The country's Interior Minister, Ali Ahmad Jalali, said there was "no doubt" that terrorists wouldl try to "disrupt the election process." He added that any attack would "damage the process," but would not stop the election.
President Hamid Karzai is favourite to win Saturday's election. Fear of violence has hung over preparations for the vote and curtailed campaigning by Karzai and his challengers.
Karzai's vice presidential running mate, Ahmad Zia Masood, narrowly escaped a blast yesterday that was claimed by the Taliban but the government says was more likely the work of drug traffickers.
Taliban threats to attack anyone connected with or taking part in the vote have not stopped more than 10.5 million Afghans out of a population of about 28 million from registering to cast their ballots. More than 40 percent of those who have registered are women, organisers say.
The Taliban repeated warnings today for people to stay away from polling booths, saying fighters would do whatever they could to disrupt the vote.
"Those who wish to participate, despite the warning, can do so but it will not be our responsibility if something happens to them," Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi said by telephone.
He said Thursday was the third anniversary of the day U.S. forces launched air strikes to oust Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar from power for failing to hand over Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda chief held responsible for the Sept 11, 2001, attacks.
Kabul fell to US and anti-Taliban forces in November that year and Karzai was picked by the United States to run a transitional government.