Armed Taliban fighters stormed a joint military base of the Afghan National Defence Forces in the southern province of Zabul late Thursday night, according to a member of the provincial council, Haji Atta Jan Haqbayan. The clash continued till the early hours of Friday, leaving 27 members of the Afghan forces dead, Haqbayan said, adding that the Taliban fighters left the area after capturing weapons and ammunition. The Afghan defence ministry also said infiltrators within the Afghan forces helped carry out the attack, adding that the incident was being investigated. The government earlier on Thursday said it was ordering its forces to switch to an “active defence posture” as Taliban attacks continued. “This heinous act of the Taliban is a clear example of their commitment for continued violence and against the Afghan peace process,” Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for the Afghan president, said on Twitter.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 20, 2020 14:26 UTC