Huge explosion rocks Afghan city of Kandahar: AFP

A huge explosion rocked the centre of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar today, an AFP correspondent said, as ambulances rushed to the scene.

A huge explosion rocked the centre of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Thursday, an AFP correspondent said, as ambulances rushed to the scene.

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The blast in front of a hotel where many Afghan journalists are based destroyed several cars and shattered windows, the correspondent said.

Afghanistan is in the grip of a deadly insurgency led by remnants of the Taliban, whose regime was toppled from power in late 2001 in a US-led invasion.

Suicide and other bomb attacks are part of the militants' arsenal in their campaign against the Western-backed government and the 126,000 US and NATO troops currently stationed in the country.