Kabul, Aug 20 (DPA) Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday the presidential election was conducted 'successfully' throughout the country despite 73 attacks by Taliban militants that resulted in deaths of Afghan security forces and civilians.

'The Afghan people defied rockets, bombs and intimidation and came out to vote, that is great,' Karzai - frontrunner of the 30 candidates - told a press conference in his fortified palace.

'Despite problems and intimidation, the elections ended successfully,' the president said, adding that the militants conducted 73 attacks in 15 of 34 Afghan provinces.

He said the attack left Afghan army personnel, police and civilians killed, but did not give any figures.

The election, the second in the country's recent history, began at 7 a.m. (0230 GMT) and all polling stations were officially closed at 5 p.m. (1230 GMT).

The commission said that nearly 6,200 polling centres were opened throughout the country, although owing to security concerns it was unable to open at 315 unspecified sites.

Azizullah Lodin, head of the Afghan Independent Commission, told a press conference that the commission had to close some polling sites in the southern province of Kandahar, and fighting with the Taliban in northern Baghlan province meant polling centres there could not open.

Taliban militants, who had repeatedly warned they would disrupt the vote, detonated bombs, fired dozens of rockets and attacked government offices and polling stations in almost all regions of the country to prevent people from voting.