Afghan defence chiefs resign over deadly Taliban attack
Source: BBC
Afghan defence chiefs resign over deadly Taliban attack
49 minutes ago
From the section Asia
Afghanistan's defence minister and army chief of staff have resigned in the wake of a Taliban attack that left scores of soldiers dead, the presidential palace says. he attack happened on Friday at an army base near Mazar-e Sharif. Insurgents targeted troops leaving Friday prayers at the base's mosque and in a canteen, the army said. It was the Taliban's deadliest attack on the armed forces since it was removed from power in 2001.
The resignations coincided with the arrival of US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on an unannounced visit to Kabul. He is due to meet both Afghan officials and US troops.
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It is not clear exactly how many soldiers died. The Afghan defence ministry has not released firm casualty figures, only saying more than 100 people were killed or injured. Other officials have told BBC that at least 136 people died - 124 coffins had been sent out to different parts of the country and 12 soldiers had not yet been identified, they said. But some sources say the toll was even higher. One eyewitness told the BBC he counted 165 bodies.
The resignations of Defence Minister Abdullah Habibi and army chief Qadam Shah Shaheem were announced in a one-line statement from the presidential palace. No explanation was given but the attack has caused widespread anger in Afghanistan, with many questioning the government's ability to counter the Taliban insurgency.
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Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39690980
