Militants managed to breach the first gate of the military-civilian complex and took up position in an old school building, using that to engage approaching military forces.
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The ministry statement said that a total of 11 insurgents had taken part in the attack.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have been trading accusations of supporting insurgents since Afghan peace talks brokered by Islamabad collapsed last summer, suspending a reconciliation process between Kabul and the Afghan Taliban.
The attack also injured “37 people, including 14 civilians, 17 Afghan army and 4 Afghan police personnel”, he said. Mansoor’s leadership was challenged among some followers, and a breakaway Taliban faction emerged, followed by clashes between the two groups. But officials expressed optimism on Wednesday that the talks can eventually be revived.
“This is the most serious attack we’ve witnessed against the (Kandahar) installation”, the official said.
Final “mopping up operations” were now under way, military officials said.
And, Mr Blinken added, “when everyone is rolling in the same direction, there is a greater chance of actually moving in that direction”.
The development comes a day after Mr Nabil posted a scathing Facebook post criticising Mr Ghani’s high-profile visit to Pakistan, the Taliban’s historic backer, on Wednesday for a regional conference.
Ghani told the conference “enemies” had unsuccessfully tried to divide Afghanistan but they had been foiled.
The fighting at Kandahar airfield was still going on when the Afghan president Ashraf Ghani landed in Pakistan today.
“The airport has been closed for all civil flights since yesterday”, he said.
The raid was the latest in a series of battlefield victories by the Taliban who briefly seized the northern city of Kunduz in September.
The clashes were reported to be continuing Wednesday.
In recent days, the Taliban has denied reports that new leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was wounded or killed in a gunfight with fellow commanders.
The Taliban spokesman, Ahmadi, confirmed the seizure of the district.
Passengers from at least one commercial flight were caught up in the attacks Tuesday and were stuck in the passenger terminal until the fighting ceased.
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The most devastating one happened in 2012 when Taliban combatants wearing US military uniforms succeeded in storming Camp Bastion in neighboring Helmand province, demolishing aircraft worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
