This archive report was first published on 28 December 2019.
On December 28, 2019, a devastating Taliban attack on a military base in Helmand province left 10 Afghan soldiers dead and four others wounded.
The attack, which occurred in the volatile Sangin district, was carried out by Taliban fighters who dug a tunnel into the base and then detonated explosives, causing a powerful blast.
Nawab Zadran, a spokesman for the 215 Maiwand Army Corps, confirmed the attack and praised the bravery of the four soldiers who repelled the Taliban assault.
"There were 18 soldiers in the base at the time of the attack providing security for the people of Sangin. Four soldiers were wounded and four repelled the Taliban attack bravely," Zadran said.
Provincial spokesman Omar Zawak also confirmed the attack, stating that the soldiers were killed by the blast inside the base.
The attack comes as local and international forces prepare for another deadly winter in Afghanistan, amid ongoing US-Taliban talks aimed at reducing violence in the country.
Just days earlier, on December 24, 2019, seven Afghan soldiers were killed in a Taliban attack on a base in the northern province of Balkh.
