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The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller escaped unhurt after a burst of gunfire in the governor's compound in Kandahar province on Thursday but the powerful police chief General Abdul Razeq was killed, officials said.
A senior security official said the governor's bodyguard opened fire and hit Razeq in the back as soon as officials came out of the meeting. The governor and the local head of the NDS intelligence service were wounded.
Several Afghan and international security officials said Razeq, one of Afghanistan's most powerful commanders with a fearsome reputation as an enemy of the Taliban, had been killed.
The Taliban issued a fresh call for Afghans to boycott this week's parliamentary elections on Thursday, denouncing the vote as a foreign-imposed process.The statement was the third such call and followed a similar message on Wednesday telling teachers not to participate as election workers in polling stations, many of which are located in schools.It said the elections "are a foreign plot to prolong occupation" and said it was the duty of every Afghan to oppose them."Consequently, preachers and prayer leaders must inform their constituency, while tribal leaders and influential figures must prevent participation by the public," the statement said.Afghan lawmaker among four killed in Taliban blast ahead of electionsThe elections for the lower house of parliament are due to take place on Saturday but preparations have been dogged by chaotic organisation and allegations of widespread fraud as well as worries that polling stations will be attacked.Thousands of police and soldiers have been deployed across the country to ensure security but already nine candidates have been assassinated and hundreds of people have been killed and wounded in election-related attacks.Although the Taliban say they will not deliberately target civilians, security officials say attacks are likely on Saturday morning to deter voters from going to polling stations.The Taliban's strong opposition to the vote comes against a backdrop of contacts with U.S. officials over possible talks to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan, with both sides attempting to secure the upper hand before any formal negotiations begin.The elections, which have been repeatedly delayed, are seen as a key credibility test for Afghanistan's democratic institutions but with two days left until the vote, officials were still rushing to complete preparations.Untested biometric voter registration equipment introduced at the last minute at the demand of political parties was still being sent out and set up in remote provincial voting centres and it was unclear whether it would be ready in time.Some 8.8 million names have been registered but millions of these are believed to be fraudulently recorded and the real number of likely voters is unknown.The lower house of parliament, with 249 seats and an extra seat reserved for the small Sikh community, has little power but the elections are seen as a vital step before more important presidential elections in April next year.District council elections, which were due to be held alongside the parliamentary elections, have been abandoned and in Ghazni province voting will be delayed because of arguments over the representation of different ethnic groups. 
Afghan Taliban issue fresh call to boycott 'foreign plot' of elections
Miller, who had been attending a meeting with security officials ahead of parliamentary elections on Saturday, was not injured but two Americans were wounded in the crossfire and had been evacuated, NATO spokesman Colonel Knut Peters said.
"Provincial officials including the governor, the police chief and other officials were accompanying the foreign guests to the plane when the gunshots happened," said Said Jan Khakrezwal, the head of the provincial council.