Fighting has escalated in Afghanistan in the run-up to a visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. On Monday U.S. warplanes bombed a suspected Taliban hideout killing ten. Meanwhile, separate rebel attacks killed 24 Afghan police officers and five medical workers. The medical workers were killed when attackers opened fire on their vehicle near Kandahar city. Hours before Rice’s arrival, four rockets exploded in the capital city of Kabul. One hit a government intelligence compound, while the other landed outside the Canadian ambassador’s residence. Police say two guards were injured. On Tuesday Rice was in Kyrgyzstan where she reached an agreement with leaders of the Central Asian country to maintain use of an aircraft base used for missions to Afghanistan. In July Krygzstsran and three other Central Asian states called on the U.S to evacuate all its bases in the region.