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A Taliban attack on an Afghan military base last week is one of the deadliest on the nation’s secret service. Insurgents drove a Humvee packed with explosives into the National Directorate for Security (NDS) base in central Wardak province.
At least two gunmen then opened fire in the complex. The BBC reports Afghan security forces thwarted a second car bombing attempt, killing three would-be suicide bombers.
The NDS base serves as a training facility for pro-government militias. Some worry the attack is a sign that without U.S. support, Afghan security forces will be left vulnerable.
As of Tuesday, Jan. 22, the Associated Press reported at least 45 casualties and as many as 70 people wounded.
Most causalities were a result of the partial collapse of the building’s roof following the blast.
There are no official death tolls. The NDS is not currently releasing any confirmed reports.
The Taliban claims its attack on the special forces resulted in 190 deaths. The group is known for inflating casualty figures from their attacks.
“It is a big loss,” Wardak provincial council head Akhtar Mohammad Tahiri told AFP. “The NDS forces are better trained and equipped than the Afghan police and army soldiers who have been dying in record numbers.”
The Taliban is known for carrying out deadly attacks targeting military bases, soldiers and police. This recent incident signaled to the international community that the group is still operating from a place of strength.
In the days following the attack, the NDS released a statement saying the commander of the bombing, Noman, was killed in an air raid.
“Noman, along with seven others, was targeted after being identified by the NDS forces,” the agency said in its statement. “NDS will follow the terrorist group and kill them all.”
At the time of the assault on the NDS base, the Taliban had been in talks with U.S. representatives in Qatar.
“We can confirm that Special Representative Khalilzad and an inter-agency team are in Doha today talking with representatives of the Taliban,” a State Department spokeswoman said.
This marks the first time the State Department has confirmed such meetings directly.
The meeting was aimed at resolving the 17-year long invasion and war in Afghanistan. The U.S. diplomats demanded the Taliban hold direct meetings in Kabul with the Afghan government.
After accusing the U.S. of seeking to expand its own agenda, the insurgents threatened to walk away from the talks. The simultaneous unfolding of the Qatar talks and the deadly Taliban assault on Afghan forces increased tensions and made it much harder to negotiate peace efforts moving forward.
The U.S. military also announced a service member was killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan.
Since the U.S. launched an offensive attack following 9/11, over 2,400 military personnel have lost their lives in the war.
Around 14,000 troops are still stationed in Afghanistan, helping to train and guide local military forces and strengthen counter-terrorism efforts.
This recent loss may lead the Trump administration to reduce the number of American troops in Afghanistan, even though members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have expressed deep opposition to this idea.
Many fear that shrinking the U.S. presence will only bolster terrorist groups like ISIS and al Qaeda.
