<p>An explosion near a facility of Afghanistan's main security agency in the capital, Kabul, on Wednesday wounded two civilians and a security official, police said.</p>.<p>The blast near a National Directorate of Security compound came hours after a car bomb and clashes near Kabul's diplomatic district, in which eight people including four attackers were killed.</p>.<p>There was no claim of responsibility for the Wednesday blast or the late Tuesday attack but they come as the Taliban have stepped up their campaign to defeat the U.S.-backed government as U.S.-led foreign forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of war.</p>.<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/in-perspective/we-can-t-stand-by-and-watch-afghanistan-collapse-1015954.html" target="_blank">We can’t stand by and watch Afghanistan collapse</a></strong></p>.<p>Fighting has been particularly heavy around the city of Herat, near the western border with Iran, and Lashkar Gah and Kandahar in the south.</p>.<p>The late Tuesday bomb-and-gun attack in Kabul was aimed at acting Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi and other politicians. Government forces battled the unidentified gunmen for more than four hours. Mohammadi survived.</p>.<p>An Afghan military spokesman said an emergency had been declared in Lashkar Gah and government forces were getting reinforcements and U.S. air support.</p>.<p>"Special forces have been sent to the area. They are in good morale," armed forces spokesman General Ajmal Omar Shinwari told Reuters.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/how-do-the-afghan-forces-and-the-taliban-compare-1016048.html" target="_blank">How do the Afghan forces and the Taliban compare?</a></strong></p>.<p>The loss of Lashkar Gah would be a huge blow for the government, which has pledged to defend strategic centres after losing many rural districts to the Taliban in recent months.</p>.<p>Scores of families have fled from their homes in the small city, capital of Helmand province, as government forces launched a counterattack against the Taliban.</p>.<p>The United Nations reported Tuesday that at least 40 civilians had been killed in Lashkar Gah in the previous 24 hours.</p>.<p>Taliban fighters had taken control of some radio and TV stations in the city and were moving into homes to stop people from helping government forces, residents said.</p>
<p>An explosion near a facility of Afghanistan's main security agency in the capital, Kabul, on Wednesday wounded two civilians and a security official, police said.</p>.<p>The blast near a National Directorate of Security compound came hours after a car bomb and clashes near Kabul's diplomatic district, in which eight people including four attackers were killed.</p>.<p>There was no claim of responsibility for the Wednesday blast or the late Tuesday attack but they come as the Taliban have stepped up their campaign to defeat the U.S.-backed government as U.S.-led foreign forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of war.</p>.<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/in-perspective/we-can-t-stand-by-and-watch-afghanistan-collapse-1015954.html" target="_blank">We can’t stand by and watch Afghanistan collapse</a></strong></p>.<p>Fighting has been particularly heavy around the city of Herat, near the western border with Iran, and Lashkar Gah and Kandahar in the south.</p>.<p>The late Tuesday bomb-and-gun attack in Kabul was aimed at acting Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi and other politicians. Government forces battled the unidentified gunmen for more than four hours. Mohammadi survived.</p>.<p>An Afghan military spokesman said an emergency had been declared in Lashkar Gah and government forces were getting reinforcements and U.S. air support.</p>.<p>"Special forces have been sent to the area. They are in good morale," armed forces spokesman General Ajmal Omar Shinwari told Reuters.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/how-do-the-afghan-forces-and-the-taliban-compare-1016048.html" target="_blank">How do the Afghan forces and the Taliban compare?</a></strong></p>.<p>The loss of Lashkar Gah would be a huge blow for the government, which has pledged to defend strategic centres after losing many rural districts to the Taliban in recent months.</p>.<p>Scores of families have fled from their homes in the small city, capital of Helmand province, as government forces launched a counterattack against the Taliban.</p>.<p>The United Nations reported Tuesday that at least 40 civilians had been killed in Lashkar Gah in the previous 24 hours.</p>.<p>Taliban fighters had taken control of some radio and TV stations in the city and were moving into homes to stop people from helping government forces, residents said.</p>