Arrests Mount in Mazar-e-Sharif Deadly Attack

Afghan authorities have arrested 35 people in connection with recent deadly attack on the army base in northern Balkh province.

 Last week, close to 200 soldiers were killed and nearly 100 more injured in the Taliban-claimed attack on Shaheen 209th Corps in Mazar-e-Sharif city of the province.

According to information obtained by Ariana News, the security forces were aware of the attack but the warning apparently was ignored by the officials at the military base.

The leaked information indicates that the attack was planned by the Haqqani Network in Peshawar city of Pakistan six months before.

The report shows that ammunition and weapons were provided for the militants from Kohistanat – a district of northern Sar-e-Pul province which is reportedly under control of the Taliban.

Based on the latest details, there were 10 attackers in two Ranger-type vehicles that managed to get through security barriers of the Shaheen army base and began their assault on the mosque that hosted about 500 soldiers for Friday prayers.

Follow the attack, a suicide bomber blew himself up inside the mosque and allowed two other attackers to shell the soldiers who were attempting to leave the mosque.  When some soldiers entered the eating-room, another attacker closed the door and exploded himself killing soldiers.

The mosque was targeted on Friday prayers time where the soldiers could not carry their guns inside.

Among the 10 attackers, five of them were trained in a Madrassa in Quetta and five others were trained in Peshawar of Pakistan. Two of these attackers had authentic Afghan army ID cards, however, It was not clear whether the ID cards of the remaining eight were real or fake.

The attackers initially traveled to northern Baghlan province from Peshawar and from there reached the military base in Balkh. 

Reported by Qiam Noori, Edited by Shakib Mahmud