Afghan spy chief quits after denouncing talks with Pakistan

Thirty-seven people were killed when Taliban insurgents wearing military uniforms stormed Kandahar airport, triggering pitched gun battles in a lengthy siege as President Ashraf Ghani yesterday sought to revive peace talks at a regional conference.

The number included 38 civilians, 10 Afghan National Army soldiers and two policemen, the Afghan Defense Ministry said in a statement Thursday.

“The last attacker was killed around 20:15 last night”, Defence Ministry spokesperson Dawlat Waziri said.

Afghan, US, Pakistani and Chinese officials agreed during the meeting that they will immediately try to jump-start peace talks to end the 14-year Taliban insurgency.

The site in Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second biggest city, contains both a civilian airport and a large military base that houses thousands of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation military personnel and civilian contractors in addition to Afghan forces.

“Our innocent countrymen were being martyred and beheaded in Kandahar airfield… at the moment when (Pakistan) Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif once again called Afghanistan as Pakistan’s enemy”, he wrote. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.

The Taliban, fighting to re-establish hard-line rule after US-led military intervention toppled their regime in 2001, have been struggling to settle a leadership dispute which has seen scores killed in fighting between opposing factions.

It was the latest in a series of audacious raids by Taliban fighters.

The incident is a major embarrassment for the Afghan security forces who were supposed to have secured the area.

A report by the Institute for the Study of War explains that Taliban attacks since 2014 “were not typical of the previous two years” and particularly “high profile”.

The sprawling airport in Kandahar is known as Kandahar Air Field.

The statement further added “The Taliban initiated the complex attack on 8 December with fighting continuing over a 24-hour period, during which time they intentionally targeted civilian areas of the base”.

The Taliban have stepped up their attacks across the country, including a September battle which saw them capture and hold the northern city of Kunduz for three days. Another source said the third floor was on fire after the final standoff with the last assailant.

In a speech, Ghani praised Pakistan’s pledge to resume talks and respect Afghan sovereignty.

Pakistan, which has historically supported the Afghan Taliban and wields considerable influence over the insurgents, hosted a milestone first round of peace negotiations in July.