26 soldiers killed as Taliban storms Kandahar base

At least 26 Afghan soldiers have been killed and 13 wounded in a Taliban attack on a military base in Kandahar province, according to the defence ministry, in the latest blow to struggling security forces. The attack happened late on Tuesday in the Karzali area of Khakrez district. At least 21 other people went missing […]

At least 26 Afghan soldiers have been killed and 13 wounded in a Taliban attack on a military base in Kandahar province, according to the defence ministry, in the latest blow to struggling security forces.

The attack happened late on Tuesday in the Karzali area of Khakrez district.

At least 21 other people went missing and seven were kidnapped, General Dawlat Waziri, Afghan defence ministry spokesman, told Al Jazeera.

“Afghan soldiers resisted the attack and the fight is now over, they [Taliban fighters] were unable to take over the base,” he said. He said more than 80 fighters were killed in the counterattack.

However, the Taliban claimed to have killed at least 70 soldiers and to have seized a number of army vehicles, equipment, machinery and weapons.