Time to ditch this mess?

(BBC News) — Intense fighting has taken place in Afghanistan’s second city of Kandahar amid co-ordinated militant attacks, including at least six suicide bombs.

The Taliban said it was behind the triple assault on the provincial governor’s office, the Afghan spy agency and a police station.

At least two people were killed and 23 injured in the fighting, which spread panic on the streets.

One official linked the attack to the recent escape of hundreds of prisoners.

Gunmen in a four-storey shopping centre exchanged fire with security forces in a compound belonging to Governor Tooryalai Wesa.

Firing continued until late on Saturday, but officials told Reuters news agency that this was mainly from clearing operations.

Earlier, a spokesman for the Afghan spy agency, the National Directorate of Security, told the BBC the attack on the governor’s compound was now over and two Taliban fighters had died.

He added: “But they are still attacking my office from a nearby Kandahar hotel. Fighting is still intense.

“They are using heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, hand grenades and AKs [AK-47s].