More than 50 Afghan soldiers killed in Taliban attack

In Afghanistan, more than 50 Afghan soldiers have been killed during an ongoing Taliban attack on their base in northern Balkh province today. A US military spokesman told AFP that the attack lasted several hours but was over by early evening.

A defence ministry spokesman told AFP that a group of suicide attackers manning at least two Afghan national army vehicles managed to pass the first security gate of an army compound in the outskirts of Mazar- e-Sharif", capital of Balkh province on Friday



afternoon. 

When they were stopped at the second gate, one of the attackers blew himself up, and the rest entered the base. They went straight to the mosque where ANA soldiers were praying, and opened fire.Elsewhere on the base, at least one attacker went on a shooting rampage in a dining facility.In a statement the Taliban claimed responsibility for the operation.

Meanwhile, the US military in Afghanistan condemned the attack.