Taliban destroy Afghan army base, kill 16

Afghan officials say the Taliban have attacked a small army base, killing 12 members of the security forces and leaving behind explosives that killed four tribal elders who had come to help collect the bodies.

Safder Mohsini, head of provincial council in the northern Baghlan province, says the insurgents abducted two soldiers and wounded three others in the attack, which began late Saturday.

He says the militants burned down the base before planting bombs around it.

The Taliban claimed the attack and said they seized ammunition from the base.

The Taliban carry out near-daily attacks, mainly targeting Afghan security forces at rural outposts.

Seventeen years after the US-led invasion, the insurgents control nearly half the country.