At Least 100 Killed in Taliban Attack on Afghan Military Base

More than 100 Afghan soldiers were killed Friday in a Taliban attack on a military base. The Defense Ministry put the death toll at “more than 100,” while a local official said at least 140 were killed in the attack on a base in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. Up to 10 Taliban militants entered the base Friday disguised in military uniforms and driving military vehicles, opening fire on Afghan soldiers who were eating a meal or leaving a mosque after prayers, officials said. They used rocket-propelled grenades, rifles, and suicide vests. “It was a chaotic scene and I didn't know what to do. There was gunfire and explosions everywhere,” one serviceman told Reuters. A Taliban spokesman said the massacre was revenge for military operations against the terrorist group. The Taliban claimed one of the attackers had infiltrated the military and been serving for some time, though that has not yet been independently verified.