Deadly blasts rock Afghan city
At least 35 people have been killed after a series of explosions rocked the centre of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, an interior ministry spokesman has said.
Saturday's attacks also left 45 people, including policemen and civilians, injured.
Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from Kabul, the Afghan capital, said: "We spoke to the spokesman of the governor to the city of Kandahar [and] it appears to be a co-ordinated attack.
"One explosion happened near the police headquarters. The second one was heard near the provincial guest house in an area where also President [Hamid] Karzai's half brother [Ahmad Wali Karzai] lives.
"Now he [Wali Karzai] is in Kabul; we did speak to him and he did not have much more information than that.
"The third explosion was apparently heard ... next to Kandahar prison."
High alert
Kandahar hospital was put on full alert and appealed for blood donations.
in depth
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Several old buildings near the prison collapsed and there were fears that people may be trapped in the rubble.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the series of attacks.
A statement on the group's website said the attacks were to serve as a "message" to General Stanley McChrystal, the Nato commander, who is planning an
operation in Kandahar against the fighters.
Kandahar is Afghanistan's third biggest city, after Kabul and Herat, and was the spiritual capital of the Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until their overthrow in the 2001 US-led invasion.
At least 35 people have been killed after a series of explosions rocked the centre of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, an interior ministry spokesman has said.
Saturday's attacks also left 45 people, including policemen and civilians, injured.
Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from Kabul, the Afghan capital, said: "We spoke to the spokesman of the governor to the city of Kandahar [and] it appears to be a co-ordinated attack.
"One explosion happened near the police headquarters. The second one was heard near the provincial guest house in an area where also President [Hamid] Karzai's half brother [Ahmad Wali Karzai] lives.
"Now he [Wali Karzai] is in Kabul; we did speak to him and he did not have much more information than that.
"The third explosion was apparently heard ... next to Kandahar prison."
High alert
Kandahar hospital was put on full alert and appealed for blood donations.
in depth
Video: Afghan Taliban 'eyeing expansion'
Timeline: Afghanistan in crisis
Talking to the Taliban
Several old buildings near the prison collapsed and there were fears that people may be trapped in the rubble.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the series of attacks.
A statement on the group's website said the attacks were to serve as a "message" to General Stanley McChrystal, the Nato commander, who is planning an
operation in Kandahar against the fighters.
Kandahar is Afghanistan's third biggest city, after Kabul and Herat, and was the spiritual capital of the Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until their overthrow in the 2001 US-led invasion.