Afghan defence chiefs resign over deadly Taliban attack

Asia News: Afghan defense chiefs resign over deadly Taliban attack

Afghanistan's defense minister and army chief of staff have resigned in the wake of a Taliban attack that left scores of soldiers dead, the presidential palace says.

The attack happened on Friday at an army base near Mazar-e Sharif.

Insurgents targeted troops leaving Friday prayers at the base's mosque and in a canteen, the army said.

It was the Taliban's deadliest attack on the armed forces since US-led forces drove them from power in 2001.

The resignations coincided with the arrival of US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on an unannounced visit to Kabul. He is due to meet both Afghan officials and US troops.

Insurgents are also reported to have attacked a base in Khost, in eastern Afghanistan on Monday. A car bomb detonated at the entrance to Camp Chapman, a US-operated base, and there were a number of Afghan casualties, Reuters news agency reported.

How did the Mazar-e Sharif attack unfold?

A group of about 10 Taliban insurgents dressed in Afghan military uniforms and driving military vehicles made their way into the base in the northern city and opened fire.

Many of those who died were young recruits training at the base. Witnesses described chaotic scenes as the young soldiers struggled to work out who was friend or foe.

The attackers were armed with guns, grenades and some were wearing suicide vests, reports said. The defense ministry said the attackers were all killed.

It is not clear exactly how many soldiers died. The Afghan defense ministry has not released firm casualty figures, only saying more than 100 people were killed or injured.

Other officials have told BBC that at least 136 people died - 124 coffins had been sent out to different parts of the country and 12 soldiers had not yet been identified, they said.

But some sources say the toll was even higher. One eyewitness told the BBC he counted 165 bodies.

At the scene today - By Justin Rowlatt, BBC News, Mazar-e Sharif

The bodies have all been removed but the scale of the carnage still is horrifically apparent. Buildings are pock-marked with bullet holes and there are sprays of blood on the walls and floors.

A few workers are cleaning up. They wear face masks against the smell and I notice that among the rubble they are shoveling are shoes and pieces of fabric.

A team of forensics officers from America and Germany cluster around one of the two pick-up trucks the Taliban fighters used to enter the base. They are collecting blood and other samples.

The floor of the vehicle is littered with spent cartridges, the windscreen is shattered and there is also evidence of the deadly subterfuge the Taliban team used to enter the base.

They were wearing Afghan army uniforms and one was pretending to be injured with a bloodied bandage on his head and a drip in his arm. The tube from that drip is still on the back seat.

The commander of the base, General Katawazai, said the long battle to regain control of the base was the most difficult he had ever experienced. He had to make sure he didn't fire on his own troops.

But, when I asked what impact it had had on morale he surprised me. He said the attack had actually raised morale: "Now my men are even more determined to fight the Taliban," he said.

Why have officials stepped down?

The resignations of Defence Minister Abdullah Habibi and army chief Qadam Shah Shaheem were announced in a one-line statement from the presidential palace.

No explanation was given but the attack has caused widespread anger in Afghanistan, with many questioning the government's ability to counter the Taliban insurgency.

It comes just weeks after the assault on the military hospital in Kabul, which left dozens of people dead.

That attack was blamed on the so-called Islamic State, but many have questioned the official narrative, saying the attackers shouted pro-Taliban slogans.

In both recent attacks, people have questioned the inability of the authorities to prevent them, the lack of clarity regarding death tolls and the possibility of insider involvement.

The recent fall of Sangin in the south - a strategically important center - has also shaken confidence in the defense establishment.

So the security situation is deteriorating?

Since the US-led Nato troops ended their mission, the Afghan military has struggled to contain the insurgents.

According to a US government estimate in November 1016, the government had uncontested control of only 57% of the country, down from 72% a year earlier. Since then, Sangin has fallen in the south.

Militants from the so-called Islamic State group have also established a small stronghold in the east and have carried out attacks in Kabul, including targeting Shia communities.

Earlier this month the US dropped its largest ever conventional bomb on suspected IS fighters, killing dozens. But Mirwais Yasini, an Afghan MP from the east, said the US focus on IS was misguided when the Taliban was the biggest threat.

"You drop your biggest bomb on Daesh [IS], but what about the Taliban who kill dozens of our people every day?" Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.

What is the US doing?

There are still about 8,400 US troops and 5,000 Nato troops in Afghanistan helping to build local forces.

In February the top US commander in the country, General John Nicholson, said several thousand more were needed. "Offensive capability is what will break the stalemate in Afghanistan," he said.

But White House policy on the Afghan conflict remains unclear. Donald Trump's administration has not yet appointed an ambassador to Afghanistan or set out its strategy for the region.

Recent visits, however, could signal new engagement. Earlier this month, National Security Adviser HR McMaster visited Kabul and said that officials would present Mr Trump with a "range of options".

The surprise arrival of Mr Mattis could suggest new focus from the White House on this long-running conflict.

Details: BBC News.

Al Jazeera and news agencies

Afghan officials resign after Taliban attack

Army chief and defense minister forced to step down as the country mourns a loss of 130 lives in Taliban assault on Army base.

Afghanistan's army chief and defense minister have resigned following a Taliban attack on an army base over the weekend that killed more than 100 people, as the US defense secretary arrived in Kabul on an unannounced visit.

The attack, the biggest ever by the Taliban on a military base in Afghanistan, involved multiple attackers and suicide bombers in army uniforms who penetrated the compound of the 209th Corps of the Afghan National Army in northern Balkh province on Friday.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, which according to some estimates killed over 130 people.

President Ashraf Ghani accepted the resignations of Qadam Shah Shahim, the army chief of staff and Abdullah Habibi, the country's defense minister, on Monday, according to a statement from the president's office.

Jim Mattis was expected to meet Afghan officials and US troops, but his arrival coincided with the Friday's Taliban assault. Sources told Al Jazeera that his arrival is to determine role and goals of the US troops in Afghanistan. 

"It is not an easy time. An attack of this scale has affected many people in this country and of course us as well, but these resignations did not affect our morale," General Dawlat Waziri, a spokesperson of the Afghan Ministry of Defense, told Al Jazeera.

"We will make sure that whoever is responsible for this attack will face our wrath, they [attackers/Taliban] need to get ready now."

IN PICTURES: The Afghans on the front lines fighting the Taliban

Protesters gathered outside the presidential palace in Kabul on Monday mounting pressure for officials to held accountable, but not many did not participate in the demonstration due to high-security alert in the area.

"Our government is responsible for what happened to our soldiers in Balkh and we want accountability, we demand it," Mustafa Aminizada told Al Jazeera.

"This can not keep going on, it is too much for us. The government needs to make some serious changes."

Al Jazeera's Rob McBride, reporting from Kabul, said they were forced to resign and their positions were "untenable".

"Given the scale of the attack, which has been described as nothing short of a massacre, there have been growing calls on social media, the local media, the streets and even in parliament for both of these men to go," he said.

"Both of these men were under pressure for a similar attack just over a month ago when infiltrators managed to get inside a hospital and claimed more than 50 lives."

"The defense minister managed to escape a vote of no-confidence in parliament and narrowly held on to his job. So, both men have now taken a logical step."

On Sunday, Afghanistan marked a day of national mourning, with memorial services held at mosques and the Afghan flag flying at half-staff on government buildings and offices across the country.

READ MORE: Hamid Karzai calls MOAB 'brutal act against innocent people'

The attack in Balkh raises serious questions about the Afghan military's capability to stand on its own in the civil war following the withdrawal of foreign combat forces at the end of 2014.

"We're also approaching a sensitive time when the Taliban launches its spring offensive. The military has to be on its guard," our correspondent said.


"This attack further undermines the military. There has already been talked about corruption and allegations of poor leadership. This does nothing to strengthen the army at this time."

Al Jazeera's political analyst, Hashmat Moslih, said the attack highlighted the continuous failure of military intelligence as well as the wider intelligence gathering of security forces.

"While the Taliban have homed in on toppling the government, the government's efforts are scattered," he said.

"The government is predominantly engaged in undermining its political rivals within the power-sharing government."

The American and other foreign troops remaining in Afghanistan are now mostly acting in an advisory and training role, with some combat assistance.