The Taliban militants group claim four of its fighters had enrolled in the 209th Shaheen Corps months before to plan and coordinate the attack on the army base.

The Taliban group spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid released the picture of the ten suicide bombers who launched the attack on Friday afternoon.

Taliban claims around 500 army personnel were killed or wounded during the attack.
However, the 209th Corps of the Afghan Army said around 11 armu personnel lost their lives in the attack and around 15 others were wounded.

The militants involved in the attack have been identified as Ahmad Safi Balkhi, Mullah Lal Mohammad Nangarhari, Hafiz Nematullah Kabuli, Qari Feda Mohammad Baghlani, Hafiz Zabiullah Kunduzi, Eng. Talha Wardak, Mullah Jawad Kandahari, Hafiz Zia-ur-Rehman Khosti, Abdul Basir Parwani, and Mohammad Nabi Ghaznawi.

The attack forced President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani to make an unannounced visit to the northern Balkh province.

The Ministry of Defense confirmed the attack was carried out by a group of at least ten insurgents who had disguised themselves in the Afghan army uniform to infiltrate inside the base.

The defense officials are saying that one of the suicide bombers was arrested while the other one managed to detonate his explosives, opening the way for the other insurgents to start firing on the soldiers.

In the meantime, Colonel John Thomas, a spokesman for the U.S. military's Central Command, told Reuters earlier that "We're talking probably more than 50 casualties."

Thomas further added "There is a mosque and a dining facility on the base that seemed to, at this point from our reports, be the subject of significant attack from enemy forces."

However, the 209th Shaheen Corps later said 11 army personnel lost their lives and around 15 others sustained injuries, rejecting the reports given by the officials regarding the massive casualties inflicted to the security forces.

LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/6229

*	NAME
*	COMMENT
4 DIGITS BELOW
*

	Taliban�s new law bans women�s voices and faces
	Western Kabul residents say Taliban has failed to ensure security after bombing
	Formation of the Federalist Assembly of Afghanistan
	Taliban: Afghanistan Does Not Have Formal Border With Pakistan
	Pedram: The Abduction of Hazara and Tajik Women Recalls the Crimes of Abdur Rahman
	Special envoys from G7 countries discuss Afghanistan in London meeting
	UNAMA report: 49 Hazara community members killed in Afghanistan in three months
	Generations of Pakistan and Afghanistan who fell victim to suicide attacks
	UNAMA urges increased protection for Afghanistan�s Hazara community after Kabul attack
	Explosion reported in Kabul , casualties still unknown