Kabul 22 Apr (ANA) - More than 100 Afghan soldiers were killed or wounded in a Taliban attack on an army base on Friday, the defence ministry has confirmed. Fighting lasted for several hours near the city of Mazar-e Sharif in northern Balkh province. Insurgents targeted those leaving Friday prayers at the base's mosque and others in a canteen, the army said. The Taliban said in a statement they had carried out the attack, using suicide bombers to breach defences. Earlier estimates put the death toll as high as 134, but a statement from the defence ministry on Saturday gave a figure of about 100 killed or injured. At least 10 Taliban militants were killed in the fighting and one attacker was detained. The Taliban fighters wore army uniforms and drove through military checkpoints before launching the raid, a military spokesman said. There are conflicting reports about casualties. The defence ministry confirmed more than 100 soldiers had been "killed or injured" but a security official in Mazar-e Sharif told the BBC that more than 100 had died, including a top military commander. Relatives of some of the soldiers gathered outside the base to take possession of coffins. They all questioned the security measures in place at the main entrance. "If strict inspections had taken place, the attackers would not have passed the first gate," said Jan Agah, from Jowzjan province. One of his nephews serving at the base died and another was injured in the attack. The raid shows the Taliban can plan and carry out complex attacks. The militants said four of the attackers had served as soldiers for a long time and had knowledge of every corner of the base. The base at Mazar-e-Sharif is home to the Afghan National Army's 209th Corps, responsible for providing security to most of northern Afghanistan, including Kunduz province - which has seen heavy recent fighting. Several German and other foreign soldiers are reported to be garrisoned there. (ANA)

FA/ANA/22 April 2017----