Afghan army soldiers stand guard at a security checkpoint after Taliban attack near the Maywand district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Oct.19, 2017. Forty-three Afghan army soldiers were killed in a pre-dawn attack by Taliban insurgents in Maywand district of southern province of Kandahar, the Defense Ministry said Thursday. (Xinhua/Sanaullah Seaim)
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Forty-three Afghan army soldiers were killed in a pre-dawn attack by Taliban insurgents in Maywand district of southern province of Kandahar, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.
"At round 2:50 a.m. local time (Thursday) a group of assailants attacked the Afghan National Army's Chishmo Camp in Maywand. The clashes caused casualties to two sides," the ministry said in a statement.
A total of 43 army soldiers were killed, nine wounded and six soldiers went missing after the fighting, the statement said, adding that 60 soldiers were at the camp before the attack and two soldiers survived and remained unharmed.
Ten militants were also killed during the attack, according to the statement.
The Taliban suicide bombers used two hijacked security forces' armored vehicles which were laded with explosives in the attack, according to local sources.
"The commander of army Corps 205 arrived at the site after the attack and more details would be made public later as investigation is going on," the statement added.
Meanwhile, Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, has claimed that the insurgents killed 60 soldiers in Maywand. He twitted that the insurgents' fighters also seized army's weapons and ammunition.
The attack occurred days after Taliban launched two massive coordinated attacks in eastern Paktia and neighboring Ghazni provinces. Over 70 people were killed and more than 170 others wounded in Tuesday's attack in the eastern provinces.
The Taliban insurgency has been on the rampage since the beginning of 2015 when the Afghan security forces assumed full responsibilities of security from the U.S. and NATO troops.
