More than 50 Afghan soldiers killed by Taliban suicide attackers at army base

 Afghan national army troops arrive near the site of an ongoing attack on an army headquarters in Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan on Friday. Photograph: Anil Usyan/Reuters


  More than 50 Afghan soldiers killed by     Taliban suicide attackers at army base

More than 50 Afghan soldiers have been killed after Taliban suicide attackers disguised as army personnel targeted a national army base in northern Afghanistan. It’s the deadliest attack in the country since July 2016, when two Isis suicide bombers killed 80 Hazara protesters.

According to Zulmay Wesa, commander of 209th corps in Balkh province, a group of suicide attackers manning at least two Afghan national army vehicles managed to pass the first security gate on Friday afternoon.

When they were stopped at the second gate, one of the attackers blew himself up, and the rest entered the base, Wesa said. They went straight to the mosque where ANA soldiers were praying, and opened fire.

“After prayer we went outside and saw an army vehicle with three to five people in. They came out and opened fire with Kalashnikovs,” said a bodyguard at the base, asking not to be named.

Elsewhere on the base, at least one attacker went on a shooting rampage in a dining facility, according to an American security official. He also confirmed that “probably more than 50” had been killed in the attack.

The US military confirmed that coalition personnel were present at the Mazar-i-Sharif base, but there were no reports of casualties.

In a statement, the US military in Afghanistan condemned the attack.