Taliban attack on Afghan army base kills at least 26

KABUL: A pre-dawn Taliban attack on an army base in northern Kunduz province has killed at least 26 members of the country’s security forces.

Mohammad Yusouf Ayubi, head of the provincial council, said there are at least 23 soldiers and three members of the local police force among those slain in the attack on Tuesday.

Ayubi said 12 troops were also wounded and that the Taliban onslaught at the base on the outskirts of the provincial capital, Kunduz city, lasted for over two hours. The attackers were repelled after reinforcements arrived at the besieged base, he added.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack. He said insurgents overran three police checkpoints as the attack unfolded.

The attack came even as peace talks are continuing. President Ashraf Ghani is being pushed to the sidelines as the Taliban ignored his overtures for peace and is negotiating instead with his friends, and enemies, over the future of Afghanistan.

From Doha to Moscow, the insurgents are meeting an array of envoys with competing interests in Afghanistan, from the US eager to withdraw their troops to political leaders in Kabul jostling for power. Experts say regional powers are angling for an audience with the Taliban, who are outlining their vision for Islamic rule once foreign troops leave.