At least 27 Afghan soldiers and police officers were killed when Taliban militants assaulted an Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) base in the southern province of Zabul late on 19 March. Provincial council member Haji Atta Jan Haqbayan told reporters that the attack lasted into the early hours of the following day, and that the militants had looted weapons and ammunition from the facility before withdrawing.
Separately, unnamed provincial officials told local media outlet TOLOnews that the assault had “involved policemen on the inside working with the attackers”, and the Afghan Ministry of Defense confirmed on 20 March that the attack was facilitated by “infiltrators”, adding that the incident was being investigated.
The Taliban’s claim of responsibility, published via its Voice of Jihad website later on 20 March, also referenced the use of insiders, noting that “as many as eight infiltrator Mujahideen opened fire on enemy troops inside the base … killing 22 puppets” – the Taliban’s standard terminology for members of the United States-backed Afghan security forces. The statement further claimed that Taliban forces had seized “an APC [armoured personnel carrier], 1 ranger pickup, 7 PKM machine guns, 5 RPG launchers, [and] 22 rifles, along with other equipment”, and had also freed “two prisoner Mujahideen” held at the base.
Inefficacy of peace deal
The Zabul assault was one of the severest attacks mounted by the Taliban since a violence reduction agreement with the US came into effect on 22 February, the successful implementation of which led to the signing of a historic peace deal between the two sides in Qatar on 29 February.
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