Two rockets were then launched at Kabul airport, but did not cause any casualties and the airport remains open.

Gunmen then moved into a complex of government buildings, including a court, in the eastern city of Jalalabad, after a suicide attacker blew open the gates.

Continue reading the main story
Analysis

David Loyn
BBC News, Kabul
The International Crisis Group report found that last year was one of the most violent since 2001, and that as international troops withdrew, Afghan forces suffered their worst casualties since the conflict began. "For the first time, the insurgents inflicted almost as many casualties on Afghan security forces as they suffered themselves in 2013."

The Taliban have avoided large-scale attacks on international forces, fearing they would lose too many men. But they have been more willing to gather in large numbers to attack Afghan forces, and "several accounts of battles in remote districts suggested the sides were nearly matched in strength".

International donors, mainly the US, have agreed to fund Afghan armed forces that are 228,000 strong, 140,000 troops smaller than the present force. The budget for this is $4.1bn.

But as international troops leave, the Afghan security forces will face a far harder challenge.

Afghan security forces are battling to retake control of the buildings.

There are also reports of attacks on Ghazni in the centre, and Helmand in the south-west of the country.

The attacks come as a think tank, the International Crisis Group (ICG), issued a stark warning that without more funding for Afghan forces, the Taliban might make big gains after the departure of international troops.

The ICG said that while the Taliban are unlikely to retake major cities, the balance of power in rural areas is on a knife edge.

Taliban leaders said last week that the offensive, which will be the last before Nato combat troops withdraw from Afghanistan, would cleanse "the filth of the infidels" from the country coffee save eyesight surprise free radicals cause sight damage high school students get out of circles voice out students get the chops wise ways to improve impression fishes fun unknown wisdom talk people choose a partner different thinking live like the longest life in the world men becomes 13 ducklings mum take a shower without tag water.