Government forces stroll after all four attackers were shot and killed after five hours of fighting.

An explosion near a facility of Afghanistan's main security agency in the capital that targeted the country’s acting defence minister left at least eight people dead and 20 wounded, authorities said on Wednesday.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Mirwais Stanekzai said, a powerful explosion followed by a gun battle between Afghan security forces and insurgents took place the night before. He said the casualty toll could rise.

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There was no claim of responsibility for the Wednesday blast or the late Tuesday attack but they come as the Taliban have stepped up their campaign to defeat the US-backed government as US-led foreign forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of war.

It appeared that the guesthouse of acting Defence Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi was targeted, Stanekzai said. He said Mohammadi was not hurt.

At least 20 people wounded after a powerful explosion followed by a gun battle in Kabul.

Mohammadi's Jamiat-e-Islami party was told the minister was not in the guesthouse and his family had been safely evacuated.

All four attackers were shot and killed after five hours of fighting, Stanekzai said.

The blast near a National Directorate of Security compound came hours after a car bomb and clashes near Kabul's diplomatic district, in which eight people including four attackers were killed.

Scores of families have fled from their homes in the small city, capital of Helmand province, as government forces launched a counterattack against the Taliban.

The United Nations reported Tuesday that at least 40 civilians had been killed in Lashkar Gah in the previous 24 hours.

Taliban fighters had taken control of some radio and TV stations in the city and were moving into homes to stop people from helping government forces, residents said.