Afghan violence on eve of election

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Despite the bloody battle fought by British troops to contain the Taliban's attempt to ruin Thursday's vote, swathes of voters were expected to stay at home fearing more violence.

In a further setback, local election chiefs admitted 20% of ballot papers and boxes had not been delivered with just hours left before polls open.

As Britons were warned to expect more troop deaths during the surge in violence, blasts reverberated through Kabul after three gunmen raided a bank and fired at police. The men all died when officers stormed the building.

The attack came a day after more than 20 people were killed in attacks across the country, including a suicide blast in Kabul.

The Interior Ministry warned about a third of Afghanistan is now at high risk of militant attack. Afghanistan's chief electoral officer Daoud Ali Najafi said Afghan army helicopters would be used to take the undelivered ballot boxes to dangerous and difficult-to-reach regions - but no polling stations will open in eight Afghan districts under control of militants.

Preliminary results of the presidential election should be announced sometime on Saturday evening, he said.

In Wednesday's attack the three armed men took over a branch of the Pashtani bank in a section of Kabul's old city still in ruins from the country's 1990s civil war. The sound of scattered gunfire and small explosions reverberated through the city for several hours but police eventually stormed the building and killed the men. Attacks nationwide have increased in recent days from a daily average of about 32 to 48.

In a bid to increase turnout, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon encouraged all Afghans to vote, saying that by participating in the election they will help "bring fresh vigour to the country's political life, and ultimately reaffirm their commitment to contribute to the peace and prosperity of their nation".

Current president Hamid Karzai is favourite, but if he does not get more than half the vote he and the second-place finisher will face off in an October run-off.