KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Four loud explosions followed by gunfire were heard in the centre of Afghanistan's southern city of Kandahar on Saturday, a Reuters reporter in the city said. The first explosion was near the police chief's compound and the second near the residence of President Hamid Karzai's half-brother Ahmad Wali Karzai who is the head of Kandahar's provincial council. The other two explosions came shortly after in another central part of the city. Sameem said police at the scene of the first blast were shooting and windows in nearby buildings were shattered. Kandahar, Afghanistan's second city, has been the scene of numerous Taliban attacks. US-led forces plan to launch an operation this year to take back the city and surrounding areas increasingly under the insurgents' control.
