The deadliest attack led Tuesday by the Taliban against Kandahar airport made 50 dead, said Thursday the Afghan government in the aftermath of a regional conference in Pakistan that revived hopes of peace talks.
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At least 37 civilians and members of Afghan security forces have been killed and 35 others wounded in Kandahar after an overnight attack by Taleban militants on the city’s airport, officials said yesterday.
The UN mission documented 54 deaths and 42 injured, according to its preliminary findings and those killed in the attack include 39 civilian males, of whom at least four were boys, 13 Afghan National Army and two Afghan National Police.
“The last attacker was killed around 20:15 last night”, Defence Ministry spokesperson Dawlat Waziri said.
It was the largest city captured by the Taliban since the radical Islamist movement was driver by power in Kabul in November 2001 by Afghan opposition forces and USA airstrikes.
“This is the most serious attack we’ve witnessed against the (Kandahar) installation”, the official said. “We could hear children screaming during the fighting”.
The sprawling airport, known as Kandahar Air Field, has a military and a civilian section, as well as a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation base.
It said a mopping-up operation was underway to check for any additional attackers and secure the area.
Kunduz, however, was the first in a series of successes as the emboldened militants saw gains in southern Helmand province, approaching Lashkar Gah, raising their flag in the main centre of Ghurian district, and taking over Warduj district.
An Afghan National Army commander said that 14 insurgents attacked the complex Tuesday evening wearing security forces’ uniforms, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported.
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation military personnel, civilian contractors and Afghan forces are based there.
“Afghan and USA officials said the insurgents didn’t make it inside the perimeter of the military base, home to roughly 2,000 US troops, instead occupying buildings inside the Kandahar airport grounds”, highlights Stars and Stripes.
In addition, nine Taliban were killed and another wounded with a final survivor still resisting security forces, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the effort to repel the attack had proceeded slowly to minimise casualties.
Ghani and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed their commitment to the peace process, with the United States and China also offering support.
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The attack came hours before Afghan President Ashraf Ghani visited Pakistan to speak at a conference attended by regional leaders to discuss the country’s future.
