Afghan security forces stand in front of the dead bodies of Taliban fighters after clashes in Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Dec. 9.
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The attack will likely renew concerns about the capabilities of the Afghan security forces, who have been stretched by a stubborn insurgency since the global military coalition withdrew most of its troops and turned over responsibility for the country’s security to Afghan forces at the end of past year.
The ministry of defence confirmed in a statement that 37 people, including women and children and Afghan national security forces, had so far been killed, with another 35 wounded, with fighting still continuing yesterday evening.
In a separate incident in neighbouring Helmand province, where the Taliban has been increasing pressure for weeks, insurgents captured the district of Khanishin, a major control point for drug smuggling routes through the south. Fourteen policemen were killed and 11others wounded, provincial council chief Karim Atal said.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, which put the death toll at 54, said the insurgents opened fire in the bazaar, killing and injuring several civilian shopkeepers and their customers.
The operation began with Taliban fighters disguising themselves in combat fatigues that bore faint resemblance to the U.S. Army’s digital camouflage.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, also at the two-day conference, said, “There is no time frame (for talks to restart), but there is a sense of determination to try to move forward and get the right people around on the same table”.
Kandahar Air Field, a former hub for tens of thousands of foreign troops and contractors, is located in southern Afghanistan’s largest city and the Taliban’s spiritual heartland. Afghan officials frequently blame Pakistan for unrest. More fighting was expected in the province on Thursday as special forces were to try to recapture the district.
In response, Ghani pointed out that an offensive by the Pakistani military against Pakistani Taliban has sent an influx of Pakistanis into Afghanistan. Kunduz was the first provincial capital to fall into the hands of the Taliban since the militant group was removed from power by the US military in 2001.
Afghanistan has long accused its neighbour of providing safe haven to Taliban insurgents, who have been mounting an increasing number of attacks since most foreign forces left Afghanistan past year.
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As the gun battles continued across the border, Pakistan’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif pledged cooperation.
