KABUL (AP):

Eleven Taliban suicide bombers struck government buildings yesterday in a bold, day-long assault in eastern Afghanistan, sparking running gun battles with United States (US) and Afghan forces that killed 20 people and wounded three Americans, officials said.

Troops freed 20 hostages taken by insurgents.

The battle in Khost, a border city that houses a major American base, came as the US made leadership changes that demonstrate a clear break from Bush-era appointees, with President Barack Obama taking charge of an increasingly bloody eight-year war that the Pentagon once believed had been won.

New US Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, a former three-star gene-ral, presented his credentials to President Hamid Karzai in the capital. On Monday, the war's top US commander, General David McKiernan, was replaced by Lt General Stanley McChrystal, who has been a leader of special forces.

Car bombing

Yesterday's assault began around 10 a.m., when a suicide bomber in a burqa attacked the governor's compound in Khost. That was followed by a suicide car bombing, said Wazir Pacha, the spokesman for the provincial police chief.

Khost residents hid from explosions and gun battles that lasted until 5 p.m. Twenty people were taken hostage. At least 11 insurgents and nine other people, including police and civilians died, the defence ministry said.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed that 30 suicide bombers had attacked the government buildings.