5 ANA soldiers killed in Helmand truck bombing

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): Five Afghan soldiers have been killed and seven others wounded in a Taliban attack in southern Helmand province, an official said on Monday.

The militants stormed a base housing Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers and intelligence personnel in Greshk district late on Sunday night, said the governor’s spokesman.

Omar Zwak told Pajhwok Afghan News the insurgents hit the base in the Yakhchal area of the district with a car bomb. He said five ANA personnel were killed and seven others wounded.

Khan Mohammad, a resident of the area, confirmed the car bombing to Pajhwok but he had no information about causalities.

But a statement from the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the security forces eliminated the car bomber before he could his target. The ministry said only one soldier was wounded.

On Monday morning, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on the base, housing about 150 soldiers and National Directorate of Security workers.

Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the militant movement, said in a statement: "Dozens of security forces have been killed and wounded in the attack."

He claimed the assailants had seized large number of weapons and ammunition from the security forces.

pk/mud