At least 26 Afghan soldiers were killed and 13 wounded in a Taliban attack on a military base in Kandahar province, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.
Afghan soldiers “bravely resisted”, he said, killing more than 80 insurgents. Residents in the area revealed an hours-long attack launched by a 30-strong convoy carrying “hundreds” of Taliban who assaulted the base from multiple directions. Air support was called in, several residents told AFP, though that was not immediately confirmed by officials. The insurgents claimed the attack via their Twitter account. The resurgent Taliban have been ramping up their campaign against beleaguered government forces, underscoring rising insecurity in the war-torn country throughout the warmer weather fighting season.
Afghan security forces, beset by killings, desertions and non-existent “ghost soldiers” on the payroll, have been struggling to beat back insurgents since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014.