Taliban claims responsibility of attack Helmand base, 23 security personnel killed

The militant attack on the 215 Maiwand Corps here, the responsibility for which has been claimed by Taliban, ended after 16 hours on Friday. Around 23 security personnel lost their lives while 20 Taliban militants, including eight suicide bombers, were killed in the ensuing operations, according to Afghanistan's Ministry of Defence.

Quoting sources, TOLOnews reported that the "complex" attack started at 2 am on Friday, when 27 gunmen attacked the military from three directions. Furthermore, a number of soldiers were taken as hostages by the militants during the attack. The attack was immediately repelled by Afghan Security Forces, TOLOnews reported while quoting the spokesman of the US Forces-Afghanistan, Colonel Dave Butler.

"The Afghan Security Forces fight for the people of Afghanistan and they are the defenders of the people," Butler stated.