KABUL:
Afghan forces repulsed an assault by hundreds of militants, many from
across the border, officials said on Wednesday, in the biggest clashes
since the presidential election almost four weeks ago.
NATO
air support was called in to help beat back the attack that left 60
militants and at least five Afghan soldiers dead at an army base near
the porous border on Monday night. “A group of terrorists and foreign
fighters numbering about 500... launched a big operation targeting army
posts in Zirok district of Paktika province,” the Afghan defence
ministry said in a statement.
It said the militants were
trying to score a high-profile victory after failing to mount a
significant attack on polling day despite threatening to target voters,
election officials and security forces.
The Afghan
National Directorate of Security, the country’s intelligence agency,
said 300 fighters from the Haqqani network, which is allied to the
Taliban, and other insurgents were involved.
“Haqqani and
foreign fighters along with suicide attackers carried out an assault on
the night of April 28 to capture a military base in Zirok district,” it
said. “As a result of a counter-attack by government forces backed by
coalition air force, 60 members of the Haqqani group and other foreign
fighters were killed and a large number injured.”
The
Haqqani network is blamed for some of the deadliest attacks in
Afghanistan, including bombings of the US and Indian embassies in Kabul.
A Haqqani source in Pakistan confirmed Monday’s incident to AFP.
“Allied forces and the Afghan army retaliated to the assault and killed
60 fighters,” he said.
“The fighters left and took with
them 40 bodies of their colleagues and 12 Afghan soldiers who were
alive.” The Haqqani source said the bodies of 20 militants were with the
Afghans and a message had been sent offering to exchange the captured
soldiers for them. Afghan officials said only one soldier had been taken
hostage
