A Taliban suicide squad armed with bombs and rockets attacked the largest US military base in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, sparking an hour-long gun battle, officials said.
One foreign soldier and two civilians were wounded in an initial rocket attack on Kandahar airfield.
Two suicide bombers then detonated explosives strapped to their bodies outside the base perimeter, aiming to clear the entrance for the rest of the group to breach the wire, Zalmai Ayobi, Kandahar provincial spokesman told AFP.
"Two of them blew themselves up and the other four were killed in the subsequent firefight," he said.
Ayobi said the militants failed to enter the base. The NATO press office in Kabul confirmed a "failed attack".
Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi claimed responsibility for the attack.
Seriously - if you failed at something, would you call the media to claim credit?
By: Brant
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2 comments:
"Seriously - if you failed at something, would you call the media to claim credit?"
Possibly. In some military situations, particularly some sort of armed underground resistance situation, it is worth the loss of admitting a failure to get out the news that resistance is taking place, that you are putting up a fight.
You could also use the admission of failure to build your credibility with the news agent you give this information too. You admitted a failure to him. Next time when you claim a success that your opponent is trying to keep secret -the news agent is more likely to believe you.
Sensemaker
A separate story on the attack quotes a Canadian Major Josh Major (yes, he would be addressed as "Major Major" :)) described the attack as follows: "Ten personnel attacked a base of 20,000. It was more of an annoyance than anything else. They destroyed about $70 worth of fence."
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