43 soldiers killed in Taliban attack on army camp in Afghanistan's Kandahar

At least 43 Afghan soldiers were killed in a Taliban-claimed suicide attack on a military base in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, officials said, the third assault on a security installation this week.

Just two soldiers are known to have survived unscathed after the attack on the base in the Chashmo area of Maiwand district in Kandahar province, the defence ministry said in a statement, adding that nine soldiers were wounded and six unaccounted for.

Defence ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri told AFP the attackers detonated at least one explosive-packed Humvee vehicle and razed the compound in the



early morning assault.

"We think the militants used an explosive-packed Humvee vehicle to detonate the gate of the base and we are looking to see if there was more than one," Waziri said.

"Unfortunately there is nothing left inside the camp. They have burned down everything they found inside."

The Taliban claimed the ambush in a message to journalists which said all 60 security personnel on the base were killed.

Ten insurgents died, the ministry said.

"We have sent a delegation to assess the situation. The base is under ANA (Afghan National Army) control," Waziri added.