At least 26 people have been killed in a series of suicide bombings Saturday evening in Kandahar

The multiple attacks in Taliban’s birthplace occur as planning for a major offensive to drive out Taliban militants from the province is underway.

An official said the biggest explosion took place near Kandahar’s prison, apparently an attempt to repeat a jailbreak there two years ago.

More than 45 others, including 7 policemen, have been wounded in eight explosions -- half of it suicide attacks -- in the volatile province, said provincial governor Torialay Weesa.

Six police, seven women and three kids are among the dead, governor Weesa told Quqnoos.

Other blasts took place in different locations in the city, including a target near the provincial police headquarters in the city centre.

In a statement on their website, the Taliban said they had carried out the bombings in the city as a “message” to NATO commanders planning a large operation there.

They said they had inflicted heavy casualties on the “enemies of the Mujahideen.”

The provincial governor has asked the central government for immediate reinforcement to control the city.