Fifty Afghan security forces, civilians killed in airport siege

Battles between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters raged for 27 hours, leaving 38 civilians, 10 Afghan soldiers and two Afghan policemen dead, the Defense Ministry said in statement.

The Kandahar raid also came after days of fevered speculation about the fate of new Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour following reports he was critically wounded in a firefight with his own commanders in Pakistan.

He said it was hard to watch the carnage that took place this week during a almost 24-hour assault on the airfield near the southern Afghan city, an installation which houses a military wing, a civilian wing and a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation base. “We could hear children screaming during the fighting”.

But the attack on one of the most heavily protected air bases in the country underlined their ability to inflict serious damage on security forces still shaken by the Taliban’s brief capture of the northern city of Kunduz in September.

The attack comes amid reports of infighting among Taliban leaders.

Officials have been strongly pushing for talks to happen soon.

US 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”. The news provided a major setback for mending ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan – Islamabad is said to have influence to negotiate talks with the Taliban.

And, Mr Blinken added, “when everyone is rolling in the same direction, there is a greater chance of actually moving in that direction”.

The step up in violence compelled Ghani to change his tune and hit out at Pakistan in as strong a language employed by Karzai.

The statement by the Taliban claimed that they had killed up to 80 soldiers. As Afghan troops struggled to defend Kandahar airport, they relied on help from American forces. The coalition said conducted “force protection measures to ensure all service members and civilians at the airport remained safe”.

Taliban militants have intensified activities in their former strongholds across Afghanistan over the past months.

In response, Ghani pointed out that an offensive by the Pakistani military against Pakistani Taliban has sent an influx of Pakistanis into Afghanistan.

The Taliban spokesman, Ahmadi, confirmed the seizure of the district. At least nine militants were also killed.

Ten Taliban fighters reportedly disguised in Afghan military uniforms breached the first layer of the airport’s security at around 6.30pm on Tuesday, minutes after the evening call to prayer.