Gunfire erupts after blast in Afghanistan

US-led soldiers stand guard by a road in Ghazni Province. (file photo)

Gunfire has erupted in eastern Afghanistan after an explosion rocked a Polish military base in the area.

Afghan police said at least five people have been wounded in the Wednesday afternoon attack, which took place in the provincial capital of Ghazni.

Following the explosion, several heavily-armed gunmen entered the troubled area and opened fire.

Local residents and eyewitnesses said thick black smoke was rising from the base NATO helicopters were hovering above the volatile region.

Two earlier attacks aimed at NATO targets killed at least ten Afghan civilians and wounded over 20 people across the war-ravaged country.

Police said a bomber also blew himself up near a foreign troops convoy in Helmand province, killing at least four people and injuring 15 others. Helmand has been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting between the NATO-led forces and the Taliban over the past years.

According to Afghan officials, the militants also launched a rocket attack on the convoy, setting fire to 35 fuel tankers in Balablock district of Farah province on Wednesday. At least six drivers were reportedly killed and a dozen others were wounded in the assault.

There has been no letup in the Taliban attacks on US-led foreign troops across Afghanistan with US-led troops and Afghan forces falling prey to Taliban attacks on an almost daily basis.

Violence in Afghanistan has been on the rise in recent years, despite the prolonged presence of foreign forces in the war-torn country since the US-led invasion of the country more than 11 years ago.

The US and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washingtonâ„¢s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but the country is still gripped by insecurity.

JR/KA

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Republished from: Press TV