KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Afghan security forces clashed with militants in Kandahar for a second day on Sunday after the Taliban unleashed a major assault on government buildings in the southern city, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.
Zemeri Bashary said a fire fight broke out when security forces began an operation to clear the city's Kandahar Hotel, located next to the intelligence agency headquarters and a police station. He did not know how many insurgents were holed up in the hotel, which had been used to stage Saturday's daylong attacks against the two buildings. Troops were being cautious because most of the insurgents were believed to be wearing suicide vests, he said.
NATO troops and helicopters could be seen supporting Afghan forces in the clash.
Fighting had stopped overnight after Afghan forces had secured the government buildings which had been attacked, Bashary said, although sporadic gunshots and explosions could be heard around the city.
So far, he said a total of 23 attackers had been killed as well as two members of the security forces. Another 40 people were wounded. Of the dead attackers, eight detonated their suicide vests. Security forces captured four of the attackers, Bashary added.
The size and scope of the attack, which began at noon Saturday, cast doubt on the effectiveness of a yearlong campaign to secure Afghanistan's south and Kandahar in particular. The city was the birthplace of the Taliban and is the economic hub of southern Afghanistan.
The Taliban claimed more than 100 fighters took part and said their goal was to take control of Kandahar city. It was the most ambitious attack since the insurgents declared the start of a spring offensive last month against NATO and Afghan troops.
Bashary said government forces had cleared and secured all of the buildings attacked by the insurgents. They included the governor's office, the intelligence agency and the police station. Other smaller buildings were also attacked.
"Except for the Kandahar hotel all other places have been cleared by the Afghan forces," Bashary told reporters in Kabul.
He added that nearly all the insurgents killed so far had escaped late last month from Kandahar city's main Sarposa prison. More than 480 militants escaped through a 300-meter long tunnel that took five months to dig.
The Kandahar city attacks came a day after the Islamic movement said Osama bin Laden's death would only serve to boost morale, but a Taliban spokesman insisted it had been in the works for months before the al-Qaida leader was killed by American commandos on Monday.
Government officials said they had no accurate estimate of how many attackers were involved, but NATO estimated 40 to 60 militants took part.
The Taliban usually exaggerate the scale of their attacks, and it is unlikely the movement would have the strength or the numbers to actually take over Kandahar. NATO said the insurgents did not control any part of the city on Saturday.
The Kandahar attack shows the determination of the insurgency in the face of a massive international push to remove the Taliban permanently from the city that was once their capital.
The persistent violence has complicated the situation for the U.S. and many NATO allies who are hoping to pull out troops. President Barack Obama wants to start drawing down forces in July and the alliance has committed itself to handing over control of security in the country to Afghans by 2014.
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Faiez reported from Kabul.
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