Taliban attack Nato's largest Afghanistan airbase

Taliban fighters attacked Bagram airbase on Wednesday. The base, 60 kilometres north of Kabul, is the most important Nato military base in Afghanistan. At least tenTaliban fighters were killed, according to the military alliance.

Reuters

The attack hit in several places at once, but did not penetrate the base. Seven Nato soldiers were injured in the Bagram attack, which Nato says involved rockets, grenades and automatic weapons. Several hours of gunfights followed.

 A Taliban spokesman says the attack involved 20 suicide bombers, but there has been no other confirmation. Another Taliban member said there were four suicide bombers involved.

The attack, which came at 5am local time (00H30 universal time), hit a few days after Taliban leaders announced the launch of a series of jihad operations targeting Nato forces and foreigners in general. The previous day a suicide bomb killed five American soldiers and one Canadian in Kabul.

Bagram is a military airport but it has also been used as a prison since the end of 2001.

The previous day, a suicide car bombing killed 12 Afghans, five US soldiers and one Canadian colonel.