Dozens killed in Taliban attack on military base at Afghan airport

Dozens of people were killed and wounded in fighting after Taliban insurgents attacked the airport in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. At least 37 civilians and members of Afghan security forces died and 35 were injured in the assault, which took 24 hours to suppress. In addition, nine Taliban were killed and another was wounded, with a final survivor still resisting security forces, the Afghan defence ministry said in a statement. As night approached, gunfire could still be heard at the base and all flights have been cancelled.

Afghanistan’s national army forces are bravely fighting terrorists in airport areas and are trying to act cautiously to avoid harm to civilians

Afghan defence ministry

Taliban fighters attacked a perimeter area of the huge and heavily fortified complex on Tuesday evening, initially taking up position in a school in a residential area of the site, which houses both a civilian airport and military base. NATO’s Resolute Support mission said there were no reports of casualties among the hundreds of international personnel at the air base. Earlier, the Taliban said 150 soldiers were killed and it had destroyed vehicles and helicopters but the militants have made exaggerated casualty claims in the past.

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