26 Afghan soldiers killed as Taliban storm base

At least 26 Afghan soldiers have been killed in a Taliban attack on a military base in Afghanistan's Kandahar province.

The attack took place in Khakriz district on late Tuesday and continued for several hours, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. It said 26 soldiers were killed and 13 wounded in the attack.

"During the hours long clashes, over 80 Taliban fighters were also killed and injured," the Ministry was cited as saying by Efe news.

Tolo News quoted a source as saying that there were 82 soldiers at the base at the time of the attack.

A Xinhua news agency report said the fight between Taliban militants and soldiers continued till early Wednesday morning. The attackers seized a handful of weapons and ammunition from the post, some 450 km south of Kabul.

The clash came as the war-weary Afghans had been witnessing a surge in attacks by Taliban fighters and Islamic State (IS) affiliates across the country.

The Taliban had been on the rampage since April when they launched an annual "rebel offensive" in different places in Afghanistan including capital Kabul, killing and injuring hundreds.

--IANS

soni/mr