Taliban kill 30 Afghan soldiers in first major attack since ceasefire

Taliban militants killed 30 members of the Afghan security forces in an ambush in the western province of Badghis on Wednesday, the provincial governor said. It was their first major attack since the ceasefire for the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

The three-day Taliban ceasefire ended on Sunday.

Provincial governor Abdul Qafoor Malikzai said the Taliban attacked two security posts in the early hours. Abdul Aziz Bek, head of the Badghis provincial council, said one military base was targeted, in the district of Balamerghab.

“Large numbers of Taliban came from several directions,” Bek said. “After hours of heavy fighting 30 Afghan security forces were killed and the Taliban captured the base.”

The government also called a ceasefire for the holiday and Taliban fighters headed into cities across the country over the weekend as both sides celebrated the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

The government extended its unilateral ceasefire, initially due to end on Wednesday, by 10 days.

Some have criticized the ceasefire that it allowed the Taliban to freely enter government-held areas, including the capital, Kabul.

“The consequences could be disastrous,” a senior Western diplomat in Kabul said this week.