Death toll jumps to 50 in Kandahar airport siege: officials

Includes 10 soldiers, two policemen and 38 civilians

The death toll from a 27-hour Taliban siege of Kandahar airport has jumped to 50, the Afghan defence ministry said today, after a conference in Pakistan shored up international support for reviving peace talks.

"Fifty of our innocent countrymen, including 10 soldiers, two policemen and 38 civilians, were martyred in the attack," the ministry said in a statement, adding that 37 others were wounded.