Afghan forces are fighting the Taliban in Khost [File]
About 30 fighters wearing suicide vests and using AK-47s and grenades, have attacked government buildings in the Afghan city of Khost, a Taliban spokesman has said.
All roads in and out of the provincial capital of southeastern Khost province were closed on Tuesday as the fighting continued to rage.
At least four soldiers and two civilians were killed in the attacks, with another 13 people injured.
'Increase attacks'
The unnamed spokesman said that Khost had been targeted because of the heavy US military presence there.
Last month, the Taliban released a statement saying that from May 1 it would increase ambushes and suicide attacks on government buildings and officials in response to Washington's decision to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan.
The US is sending about 21,000 extra troops to Afghanistan as part of the White House's plans to confront the growing power of the Taliban in the region.
The White House plan for Afghanistan calls for a military push to reverse deteriorating security, and an increase in civilian aid and development assistance.
Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, met Barack Obama, his US counterpart, last week in Washington to discuss their joint approach to fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan.
![Afghan forces are fighting the Taliban in Khost [File]](http://mwcnews.net/images/stories/Afghan/1/2/3/4/5/forces-f.jpg "Afghan forces are fighting the Taliban in Khost [File]")
