KUNDUZ – Taliban attacks on Afghan security forces in the country’s northhave caused “heavy casualties”, officials said Thursday, putting the numberof soldiers killed as high as 40 in fighting that is ongoing.

Militants using night-vision goggles launched simultaneous raids on severalAfghan military bases and posts in Dashte Archi district in Kunduz provinceovernight, defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish and other Afghansecurity sources told AFP.

“We have suffered casualties, the Taliban have also suffered casualties,”Radmanish said.

Between 10 and 15 Afghan soldiers had been killed so far, and about thesame number wounded, he added.

But an Afghan security source told AFP that the death toll among securityforces was “more than 40”, and another confirmed that 39 had been killedand 10 wounded.

A separate security source said there had been “heavy casualties” among thesoldiers. An air and ground operation against the Taliban was under way,Radmanish said.

The night-vision goggles helped the Taliban fighters execute their pre-dawnattack, a senior Afghan commander told AFP.

He said the attacks were carried out by the group’s elite Red Unit.

“Since we don’t have the night vision (goggles), the Taliban can get closeto soldiers without them noticing,” he said.

Mohammad Hanif Rezayee, a spokesman for the 209 Shaheen Army Corps in thenorth, said two military posts had fallen to the Taliban, but securityforces had managed to beat back an attack on a base.

In a separate incident, Afghan forces launched airstrikes on a gathering ofhigh-ranking Taliban members in the southeastern province of Ghazni,killing 24 and wounding 17, the defence ministry said in a statementThursday.

Mullah Amir Khan Mutaqi, who was a Taliban minister during its 1996-2001regime, was among the injured, the defence ministry said.

A recent ceasefire between Afghan security forces and the Taliban duringthe Islamic holiday Eid had raised hopes that an end to hostilities in thewar-weary country was possible.

Since then, however, the Taliban has returned to the battlefield, launchingdeadly attacks against the Afghan military across the country.

The latest attacks come as President Ashraf Ghani attends a NATO summit inBrussels where he will be hoping to get a greater commitment from membersto the nearly 17-year conflict.

Currently, there are about 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan, providing themain component of the NATO mission there to support and train local forces.- APP/AFP