Afghan ceasefire ends, as Taliban capture army base
Taliban militants launched a major attack on an army base in Afghanistan on Wednesday morning, ending a ceasefire for the Eid holidays.
2 min read
The Taliban have grown in strength in recent years [File photo: Getty]
An army base in west Afghanistan was captured by the Taliban on Wednesday, a provincial governor has said, with 30 troops killed in the battle.
The military base in Badghis came under attack by a large number of Taliban militants who overran the base after hours of fighting, ending a ceasefire for the Eid holidays.
Two security posts came under attack in Badghis in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Provincial Governor Abdul Qafoor Malikzai said, while an army base was also targeted, added Abdul Aziz Bek, head of the Badghis provincial council.
"Large numbers of Taliban came from several directions. After hours of heavy fighting 30 Afghan security forces were killed and the Taliban captured the base," Bek told Reuters.
Malikzai said reinforcements sent to aid the defenders were also targeted on their way to the base.
"More than half of the fatalities came from the ambush and roadside bomb blasts that hit a reinforcement convoy," he said.
Naqibullah Amin, spokesman for the Badghis police, said that along with the 30 troops killed in the attack, four more members of the Afghan security forces were killed in other ambushes.
"More than half of the fatalities came from the ambush and roadside bomb blasts that hit a reinforcement convoy," he told AFP.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
"The Taliban had sent informants to collect information about the bases and plan the attack," Abdul Aziz Bek reported.
Kabul and the Taliban agreed to a week-long ceasefire to celebrate the end the end of Ramadan and the Eid holidays.
Afghanistan's government hope to reach a peace deal with the Taliban, allowing it to concentrate resources on battling more extreme militant elements such as the Islamic State group.
The military base in Badghis came under attack by a large number of Taliban militants who overran the base after hours of fighting, ending a ceasefire for the Eid holidays.
Two security posts came under attack in Badghis in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Provincial Governor Abdul Qafoor Malikzai said, while an army base was also targeted, added Abdul Aziz Bek, head of the Badghis provincial council.
"Large numbers of Taliban came from several directions. After hours of heavy fighting 30 Afghan security forces were killed and the Taliban captured the base," Bek told Reuters.
Malikzai said reinforcements sent to aid the defenders were also targeted on their way to the base.
"More than half of the fatalities came from the ambush and roadside bomb blasts that hit a reinforcement convoy," he said.
Naqibullah Amin, spokesman for the Badghis police, said that along with the 30 troops killed in the attack, four more members of the Afghan security forces were killed in other ambushes.
"More than half of the fatalities came from the ambush and roadside bomb blasts that hit a reinforcement convoy," he told AFP.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
"The Taliban had sent informants to collect information about the bases and plan the attack," Abdul Aziz Bek reported.
Kabul and the Taliban agreed to a week-long ceasefire to celebrate the end the end of Ramadan and the Eid holidays.
Afghanistan's government hope to reach a peace deal with the Taliban, allowing it to concentrate resources on battling more extreme militant elements such as the Islamic State group.
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