Taliban militants in Afghanistan have detonated an explosive-laden vehicle near an outpost housing members of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and Army forces in the country’s Helmand Province.
Omar Zwak, a spokesman for Helmand’s provincial governor, confirmed that the deadly bombing occurred on Sunday night in the province’s Nahr-i-Saraj district.
One report said at least five soldiers had been killed and five more wounded out of an estimated 150 members of army and intelligence forces that were at the station.
Another report cited an unnamed intelligence officer who survived the attack as saying that he had personally helped pull out at least 18 bodies from under the debris caused by the blast at the site on Sunday night.
The Afghan Defense Ministry said that the driver of the car had been detected and shot by the guards before reaching the building and that he detonated the bomb outside his target of Yakhchal post.
The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Dozens of members belonging to the enemy forces have been killed and wounded in the attack,” claimed Qari Yousuf Ahmedi, a spokesman for the group, which is notorious for its exaggerated statements.
Afghan government forces in the last two months have suffered heavy casualties across the country due to an increased number of Taliban attacks.
More than 900 Afghan forces have been killed in the past weeks, according to official government sources.
The deadly Taliban attacks on Afghan forces come despite a peace deal between the militants and the United States in February. They also come in the middle of a drawn-out prisoner exchange with the government that was stipulated by the deal.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
