Afghanistan Taliban attack US base in Jalalabad

Afghanistan Taliban attack US base in Jalalabad

Taliban suicide bombers have attacked a joint US-Afghan airbase in eastern Afghanistan.

Afghan intelligence officials told the BBC eight suicide attackers were involved in the assault on the base in Jalalabad, and all had been killed.

A Nato spokesman said one member of the Afghan security forces was killed during the attack.

The BBC's Orla Guerin in Kabul said the attack appeared "coordinated and complex".

The Nato spokesman said the assault was a failure because the Taliban did not penetrate the base.

But our correspondent says the fact that the militants managed to reach the perimeter will raise questions, as there are checkpoints on the approach routes.

She added that this is not the first time the Taliban has targeted the air base, which is used by US and Nato forces. In February it killed nine people in a similar attack.

Nato is gradually handing security over to Afghan forces ahead of the departure of most combat troops in 2014.

Counter claims

The Afghan officials said the first four attackers had arrived in explosive-laden cars and had targeted different entrances to the airfield, Others who had followed on foot battled security guards.

The force of the explosions is reported to have blown out windows a kilometre away.

Local residents said helicopters had fired on the insurgents, but the fighting - which lasted about 20 minutes - then appears to have stopped.

In addition to the member of the Afghan security forces who was killed, a Nato spokseman said several Afghan and Nato troops were also wounded.

The Taliban claimed it had carried out the attack, saying the assault was launched at around 06:00 (01:30 GMT) on Sunday.

A Taliban spokesman said a car bomb was detonated at the entrance to the base, before a second group of attackers, wearing Nato uniforms, were sent in.

Nato forces then responded with helicopters, and both Nato and Afghan officials said the attackers had not managed to enter the base itself.

Local police told Reuters that bodies in Afghan police and military uniforms were scattered around the entrance to the base, but it was unclear whether they were Taliban attackers in disguise.

Taliban insurgents have been battling Nato and Afghan troops for 11 years and still control parts of the east and south.

Nato - which currently has some 130,000 troops in Afghanistan - is due to withdraw combat forces in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, with only training troops remaining.