Taliban Attack Kills All 32 Afghan Troops at Border Post

A remote Afghan border post was overrun on Friday in the Spin Boldak District of Kandahar Province, with officials confirming that the Taliban killed all 32 border troops within.

Reports say that a single Taliban infiltrator climbed into the base’s guard tower, killing the sentry within. This was followed by the Taliban ramming the gate with an explosives-packed Humvee, then forcing their way in and killing everyone who was still alive.

Provincial MPs confirmed that there were no survivors. They also say that the Taliban attackers were able to totally loot the base, taking weapons and equipment, before escaping into the countryside. It’s not clear how many Taliban casualties were suffered, beyond the Humvee driver.

While this post is relatively remote on the Afghan side of the border, it is not far from the major Pakistani city of Quetta, where the Taliban have a substantial presence. Officials say that the Taliban in this area tend to be better equipped than the border forces, and this is a big part of why they tend to be overrun quickly in attacks.