Elite Taliban Unit Ambush Afghan Forces Killing 34 During Talks
- Many soldiers and police wounded and missing: Afghan official
- The worst attack in two weeks after Taliban battle in Helmand
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A special unit of Taliban militants ambushed a convoy of Afghan security forces on Tuesday evening, killing as many as 34 even as the insurgent group holds peace talks with the Kabul government to end the 19-year-old war.
The night raid by Taliban fighters, some armed with night-vision goggles and laser-assisted rifles, took place in Afghanistan’s north as the convoy made its way to the city of Takhar, said Jawad Hejri, a spokesman for the province. Hejri said many soldiers and police officers were wounded and still missing. Abdul Qayum, the head of the province’s public health department, confirmed the death toll by phone.