NATO and Afghan officials say their forces appear to have held off a major Taliban assault on government buildings in Afghanistan's main southern city of Kandahar.
Reports said Taliban fighters, including at least five suicide bombers, attacked government targets in Kandahar on May 7, including the governor's compound, the mayor's office, intelligence agency headquarters, and police stations.
Officials said other suicide bombers were stopped before they could reach their targets.
NATO said in a statement that none of the assaulted buildings were breached by the Taliban attackers.
Officials said at least one police officer and one civilian, and six Taliban fighters were killed in the violence, and at least 20 people were reported wounded.
U.S. Marine Major-General James Laster, a spokesman for the international coalition, said the assault "clearly was intended to be a spring offensive spectacular attack" by the Taliban, "which was thwarted by Afghan National Security Forces."
The Taliban said last week, before the strike on Osama bin Laden, that more large attacks were planned as part of their spring offensive.
compiled from agency reports
