At least two Afghan security force members were killed and six more wounded as a result of two separate car bomb blasts in the southern province of Helmand, local officials have said.

The officials said that the Taliban intended to block the Kandahar-Lashkargah highway by plotting the two attacks.

“Six of our soliders were wounded in defense of the country, two of our officers were martyred,” said Yasin Khan, the governor of Helmand province.

Reports from the frontline in Helmand indicate that the Afghan security forces and the Taliban outfits engaged in fierce battle after the two incidents.

“The enemy wanted to explode a car full of explosives on our base,” said Sediqullah Zuwak, an officer of the National Directorate of Security (NDS).

“After the explosion, they started fighting with us and the fighting lasted for 20 minutes,” said Laal Mohammad, an NDS officer.

Residents in Helmand have also voiced deep concern over the dramatic surge in the level of violence in the province.

“It was around 9:30 pm when the first explosion occurred, our house roof collapsed and several people were wounded,” said Mohammad Khan, a resident in Nahr-e-Saraj district.

“Houses were damaged, there was destruction,” said Ezatullah, a resident in Nahr-e-Saraj.

New waves of violence grips Helmand following a relatively peaceful period over the past couple of months.

Meanwhile, in Uruzgan province, three key security forces leaders and four other security force members were killed in a roadside mine blast in Uruzgan province on Wednesday morning.

Data collected by TOLOnews shows that 13 provinces have witnessed violence in the last two weeks, which the Afghan government calls "unacceptable."

The data shows that clashes between the Afghan government and the Taliban have happened in Kunduz, Balkh, Samangan, Baghlan, Parwan, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Zabul, Uruzgan, Kandahar, Ghor, Badghis and Herat in the last two weeks.

The Taliban, according to officials and sources, have carried out attacks in cities, highways and strategic districts, which they had agreed not to do as part of the peace agreement.

In Kandahar, at least seven security force members were killed in a Taliban attack on Tuesday.

The clashes started in Takhta Pul as the Taliban attacked security checkpoints, and seven security force members were killed, the statement said.

The Taliban has not yet commented on the attack.