Taliban insurgents in the latest wave of violent attacks against the government targeted Logar's provincial capital Pul-e-Alam, 60 km south of Kabul on Monday and firefight goes on, a local official said.

"A group of insurgents entered the Pul-e-Alam city at around 01: 15 p.m. local time (0845 GMT) and police began encountering," spokesman of provincial administration Deen Mohammad Darvish told Xinhua.

He also added that gun battle has been going on but did not say if there were any casualties.

However, locals say that militants have been pounding the government departments with rocket propelled grenades and small arms.

According to locals, one suicide bomber blew himself up next to the court department.

Meantime, Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban insurgents said via telephone from an undisclosed location that six suicide bombers entered the city and have inflicted casualties on government security forces.

Taliban militants have carried out series of multiple suicide attacks against government buildings in different provinces over the past couple of months.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2009)