\u201cMore than 50 Afghan soldiers have been killed\u201d in a Taliban attack Friday on their base near the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, a US military spokesman told AFP.
\nThe attack lasted several hours but was over by early evening, according to the spokesman, who wished to remain anonymous.
\nUS General John Nicholson, commander of NATO’s Resolute Support operation, said in a separate statement that the attack targeted \u201csoldiers at prayer in a mosque and others in a dining facility\u201d of the 209th Corps of the Afghan army.
\nThe general, who did not give a toll, praised \u201cthe Afghan commandos who brought today’s atrocity to an end\u201d.
\nAfghan defence ministry spokesman General Dawlat Waziri said gunmen wearing Afghan army uniforms had launched the attack on the army compound on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of Balkh province.
\n\u201cIn total, there were 10 attackers involved in the attack on the Afghan army corps. Seven of them were killed, two blew themselves up, and one was detained by Afghan forces,\u201d Waziri told AFP.
\nThe Afghan general earlier gave a toll of eight soldiers killed and 11 wounded but said this would change.
\nSeveral military helicopters were hovering over the site and ambulances were evacuating the bodies of the victims, an AFP correspondent said.
\nIn a statement the Taliban claimed responsibility for the operation.
\nThe last major attack against a military site dates back to early March, a coordinated hours-long assault on the country’s main military hospital in Kabul.
\nOfficials said around 50 people were killed in that attack, though credible sources said it was more than double that.
\nThat operation was claimed by the militant Islamic State group.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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