国际英语新闻:Taliban begin spring offensive as blasts go on in Afghan cities

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF ) confirmed that insurgents attacked an ISAF installation located in Jalalabad, allegedly killing one civilian with a vehicular-borne suicide bomb and small arms fire. Three insurgents were killed and one wounded and captured in the attack, the ISAF said in a brief statement.

Also in eastern Paktia's provincial capital Gerdez, many militants stormed the police headquarters leaving three attackers dead and injuring 11 others including a police and 10 civilians, provincial administration spokesman Roohullah Samon told Xinhua, admitting that gun shots continued.

There is no report of possible casualties in Logar province, 60 km south of capital Kabul, where sources said several Taliban loyalists including suicide bombers targeted the governor office in provincial capital Pul-e-Alam.

It is the biggest Taliban offensive so far this year and comes as Afghan and Western officials discussed the possibility of a spring attack.

Earlier in March, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, told a Congressional committee that "As a result of our recent winter operations, we have seriously degraded the Taliban's ability to mount a major spring offensive."

Sunday's dreadful attacks occurred just days after an agreement was inked between the U.S. and Afghan governments which allows the Afghan security forces to conduct special operations including the controversial night raids.

In Kabul and other cities, the Afghan forces backed by NATO-led troops have been striving hard into the dusk to eliminate the attackers and bring the situation under control at its earliest.