Militants dressed in military uniforms attack major army base in Balkh province as soldiers leave Friday prayers.
Afghan government officials say the death toll has jumped to 140 following Friday's assault on an army base in the northern Balkh province, according to Afghan media reports.
Another 160 people were wounded in the attack, Mohammad Ibrahim Khair Andesh, the head of the provincial council, announced on Saturday.
The attack, responsibility for which has been claimed by the Taliban, happened at an army command center a few kilometers from Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh.
Two of the attackers blew themselves up and seven were killed in the assault, which lasted several hours and targeted soldiers at a mosque and a dining facility, the Afghan defense ministry said.
It was the deadliest attack in Afghanistan since July 2016, when two ISIS suicide bombers killed 80 Hazara protesters.
Meanwhile, Afghan news agency Khaama Press reports the National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar has said the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) personnel are committed to take revenge of the deadly attack on 209th Shaheen Corps base in Balkh province.
Atmar reportedly made the remarks during a telephone conversation with the secretary of the National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani.
According to a statement by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Iranian National Security Council secretary made a telephone call to Mr. Atmar following the deadly attack on army base in northern Balkh province, Khaama Press said.
The statement further added that Mr. Shakhani strongly condemned the attack on the 209th Shaheen Corps base that led to the martyrdom of scores of soldiers during the Friday prayers.
He also conveyed the condolences of the Iranian government and nation regarding the incident to the Afghan government leadership and the Afghan nation.
In his turn, Mr. Atmar reportedly thanked the Iranian government for the message of condolences and emphasized on the need to joint regional efforts to root out terrorism.
Regarding the attack on Shaheen Corps base, Atmar said the Afghan forces will take revenge from the Taliban for the barbaric attack.





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