The Taliban killed more than 100 members of the Afghan security forces inside a military compound in central Maidan Wardak province on Monday, a senior defence official said.
“We have information that 126 people have been killed in the explosion inside the military training center, eight special commandoes are among the dead,” said a senior official in the defence ministry in Kabul, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official said the assault began on Monday morning when the attackers rammed a car full explosives through a military check point and detonated the vehicle inside the campus of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) forces training center in Maidan Shahr, the capital of Maidan Wardak province.
Two gunmen entered the campus right after the explosion and shot at many Afghan soldiers before being gunned down during the clashes
Defence ministry officials said the Taliban had used U.S.-made armoured Humvee vehicles captured from Afghan forces as a car bomb in order to breach the military fortifications.
A second source residing in Maidan Wardak province said more than 100 members of National Directorate of Security (NDS) were killed in the complex attack.
“I have been in touch with the NDS official in the province and they told me that over 100 members of the NDS were killed in the big explosion,” the former provincial official said.
Sharif Hotak, a member of the provincial council in Maidan Wardak said he saw bodies of 35 Afghan forces in the hospital.
“Many more were killed. Several bodies were transported to Kabul city and many injured were transferred to hospitals in Kabul,” said Hotak, adding that “the government was hiding the accurate casualty figures to prevent a further dip in morale of the Afghan forces.”
“The explosion was very powerful. The whole building has collapsed,” he said. Government officials in Maidan Wardak and Kabul declined to comment when asked if they were obscuring the death toll.
Two senior officials in the interior ministry said the exact casualty figure was not being disclosed to prevent unrest within the armed forces.
“I have been told not to make the death toll figures public. It is frustrating to hide the facts,” said a senior interior ministry official in Kabul. A senior NDS official in Kabul said at least 50 people were killed or wounded in the complex attack.
Abdurrahman Mangal, spokesman for the provincial governor in Maidan Wardak said 12 people were killed and 12 were injured when the car bomb exploded near the Afghan special forces unit.
President Ashraf Ghani’s office in a statement said the “enemies of the country” had carried out an attack against NDS personnel in Maidan Shahr.
Last year Ghani has said 28,000 Afghan police officers and soldiers have been killed since 2015, breaking the longstanding suppression on casualty data.
Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the group said they have killed 190 people in the complex attack.At least 12 people were killed on Monday in a Taliban-claimed attack on a military compound in central Afghanistan, officials said, as the insurgents continue to batter the war-torn country's beleaguered security forces.
“We have information that 126 people have been killed in the explosion inside the military training center, eight special commandoes are among the dead,” said a senior official in the defence ministry in Kabul, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official said the assault began on Monday morning when the attackers rammed a car full explosives through a military check point and detonated the vehicle inside the campus of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) forces training center in Maidan Shahr, the capital of Maidan Wardak province.
Defence ministry officials said the Taliban had used U.S.-made armoured Humvee vehicles captured from Afghan forces as a car bomb in order to breach the military fortifications.
A second source residing in Maidan Wardak province said more than 100 members of National Directorate of Security (NDS) were killed in the complex attack.
“I have been in touch with the NDS official in the province and they told me that over 100 members of the NDS were killed in the big explosion,” the former provincial official said.
Sharif Hotak, a member of the provincial council in Maidan Wardak said he saw bodies of 35 Afghan forces in the hospital.
“The explosion was very powerful. The whole building has collapsed,” he said. Government officials in Maidan Wardak and Kabul declined to comment when asked if they were obscuring the death toll.
Two senior officials in the interior ministry said the exact casualty figure was not being disclosed to prevent unrest within the armed forces.
“I have been told not to make the death toll figures public. It is frustrating to hide the facts,” said a senior interior ministry official in Kabul. A senior NDS official in Kabul said at least 50 people were killed or wounded in the complex attack.
Abdurrahman Mangal, spokesman for the provincial governor in Maidan Wardak said 12 people were killed and 12 were injured when the car bomb exploded near the Afghan special forces unit.
President Ashraf Ghani’s office in a statement said the “enemies of the country” had carried out an attack against NDS personnel in Maidan Shahr.
Last year Ghani has said 28,000 Afghan police officers and soldiers have been killed since 2015, breaking the longstanding suppression on casualty data.
Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the group said they have killed 190 people in the complex attack.At least 12 people were killed on Monday in a Taliban-claimed attack on a military compound in central Afghanistan, officials said, as the insurgents continue to batter the war-torn country's beleaguered security forces.
The attack began after a vehicle loaded with explosives rammed into the entrance of a compound in Maidan Shahr — the capital of Wardak province that lies about 50 kilometres south of the capital Kabul.
At least three gunmen stormed the base following the explosion, igniting a firefight with Afghan security forces. All three gunmen were later killed in the exchange, according to a provincial official.
"So far our reports show 12 have been killed and 20 wounded, most of whom were Afghan security forces," Akhtar Mohammad Taheri — the head of Wardak provincial council — told AFP.
"The Taliban used a Humvee vehicle to hit the compound," Taheri added.
Provincial health director Mohammad Salim Asgharkhail confirmed the toll.
"Some wounded people were taken to hospitals in Kabul for further treatment as they were in critical condition," said Asgharkhail.
Provincial governor spokesman Abdul Rahman Mangal said the huge blast had also partially damaged the base.
The Taliban — who have been waging a 17-year war against the Western-backed Afghan government — later claimed responsibility for the assault.
The attack comes a day after a Taliban suicide bomber targeted the convoy of Logar province's governor, killing at least seven security guards.
Fights between security forces and Taliban fighters have continued to intensify across the country during the frigid Afghan winter, which traditionally experiences a lull in fighting.
The recent Taliban attacks come as Washington is stepping up efforts for a peace deal that could pave the way for the Taliban's participation in the next government, with the US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad visiting regional powers this month after meeting Taliban representatives in December.
Khalilzad ended his visit to Pakistan on Sunday after meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan last week to discuss ongoing peace efforts
