Quqnoos] At least five Afghan civilians were killed and 16 others wounded Monday in two separate explosions in Kandahar, officials saidA suicide bomber struck a convoy of foreign troops in the southern Afghan province in the morning, killing at least four civilians and a NATO soldier.
A few hours later, a car bomb went off nearby the provincial police headquarters in the heart of Kandahar city, leaving one dead and 16 others injured.
The wounded people have been taken to a near hospital, the Afghan Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
Afghan forces have cordoned off the area around the police station and journalists are not allowed to enter, said Quqnoos Kandahar correspondent, Mohammad Masumi.
"The city is on alert," Masumi added, "people expect more of such deadly incidents."
The suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden vehicle on a road leading to Kandahar airport, a base for thousands of foreign troops -- most of them Canadians and Americans.
The Interior Ministry confirmed both of the incidents, blaming enemies, an expression commonly used to refer to the Taliban.
The explosions occurred as thousands of NATO and Afghan troops have been battling a major offensive against the Taliban in the neighbouring Helmand province for the past three weeks.
Two days earlier, US officials said they are planning to launch a major operation later this year to target Taliban hideouts in Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban.
The operation in Kandahar would be a part of 12 -- 18 month push aimed at turning the tide in the staled Afghan war.
No group, including the Taliban, has made an immediate claim of responsibility for Monday attacks.
The incidents come amid reports that Taliban are seeking to destabilise other parts of southern Afghanistan as they are under intense pressure in Helmand province.
Taliban militants have intensified their attacks across the country over the past two months, targeting government locations and security forces.