Early Tuesday morning, less than three weeks before Afghans head to the polls, nine rockets slammed into Kabul just before sunrise – with two landing  near the U.S. Embassy.  According to Afghan officials, no one was killed.

The neighborhood around the embassy is heavily fortified – and is home to many international workers and senior Afghan government officials. Despite being considered a target area because of the people who live there, it has also been one of the safest parts of the city due to the additional security.

While suicide attacks and bombings have become more common across Afghanistan this year- violence has actually decreased in Kabul until now. Though according to military and security officials, Tuesday’s attack wasn’t the first in the capital during the election.

“We seen a large increase in the number of attempted attacks in the past few weeks,” said one military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A week earlier, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) destroyed a truck in the southern part of the city, and significant amount of bomb material was found near an international military compound.

The Taliban have vowed to disrupt the elections and have targeted political candidates, Afghan army and police units and government buildings

In July, a campaign worker for Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, a leading opposition candidate, was killed by gunman outside his home.  Several days later, President Hamid Karzai's running mate, Mohammed Qasim Fahim, escaped unharmed after insurgents attacked his motorcade in Northern Afghanistan.

Security analysts believe by targeting government officials, candidates and the western buildings, the Taliban hopes to demonstrate their reach and sow fear among Afghans before they head to the polls.

As the election inches closer, most analysts are predicting the number of attacks to increase and to grow larger and more complicated.

Security it is tightening everywhere around the country.  In major cities, cars are searched and police protect most intersections.