Afghanistan delayed elections in the southern province of Kandahar for one week after the assassination the region's powerful police commander.

The killing of General Abdul Razeq on Thursday (October 18) dealt a blow to the Western-backed governmet before a weekend vote for parliament.

However, U.S. defense chief Jim Mattis warned Friday (October 19), it was too soon to say Razeq's death would scare away voters in the rest of the country.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY JAMES MATTIS SAYING: "We need to find who who's done this, but right now we are going toward the election and we will continue to defend the Afghan people." Razeq was a popular figure and a key American ally in the fight against the Taliban He was shot on Thursday (October 18) by a bodyguard in Kandahar.

That was right after this meeting with America's top commander in the country, General Scott Miller.

Miller wasn't wounded - locals said he was saved by his body armour.

The Taliban claimed the attack and said that they meant to target Miller, too.

In southern Kandahar, Razeq maintained a network of informants that the U.S. saw as vital in its 17-year war.

He'd already survived dozens of attempts on his life and was known for his brutal tactics against militants in the country's south.

While Mattis admitted Friday (October 19) that terrorism can have a short-term effect, officials fear the death of Rezaq may stop some from voting at all this weekend.

And any violence at voting booths may even risk the early stages of peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban.

With one retired U.S. Defense Department official telling Reuters any violence could lead U.S. negotiators to question dealing with the Taliban at all.

Earlier this week, one candidate for the election was killed when a bomb planted under his office chair exploded.

That brought to ten the number of candidates killed in just the last two months.

Thousands of police and security forces have been deployed across the country to protect voters at polling booths.