News / Afghanistan

37 people killed in clashes between Taliban, Afghan forces in Kandahar

Wednesday, 09 December 2015 7:38 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 10 December 2015 4:13 PM ]

Afghan security personnel stand guard near the airport complex in Kandahar on December 9, 2015. (AFP photo)

At least 37 people have been killed in a gunfight between Afghan police forces and Taliban militants who had stormed an airport in Afghanistan’s southern city of Kandahar.

"Unfortunately during the battle, 37 innocent Afghans were killed and 35 others injured [in clashes at the Kandahar Air Field]," the Afghan defense ministry said in a statement.

According to Afghan military sources, however, the final death toll is expected to be higher.

Taliban militants also confirmed the attack, saying in a statement that its members had arrived at the compound with both light and heavy weaponry.

The attack at the complex, which also houses a NATO-Afghan base, came as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is on a visit in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad for the regional Heart of Asia conference. The move is seen as a sign of Kabul’s willingness to push for renewed peace talks with Taliban militants hosted by Pakistan.

Days earlier, contradictory reports emerged about the fate of the Taliban’s new leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, after he was said to be critically wounded in a firefight with fellow commanders in Pakistan.

Afghanistan has been witnessing violence since the United States invaded the country in 2001 as part of its so-called war on terror. The offensive removed Taliban from power, but insecurity still remains in some provinces. The violence has also spilled over into Pakistan.

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