19 Afghan servicemen killed in Taliban raid hours before ceasefire – report

At least 17 Afghan soldiers were killed when Taliban fighters stormed a military base in western Afghanistan, hours before the group announced a ceasefire, AFP cited Herat provincial officials as saying Saturday. It later reported that 19 Afghan members of the Afghan security forces were killed in the Friday night attack, which was claimed by the Taliban. There were a number of Taliban casualties in the Zawol district ambush, governor spokesman Jilani Farhad said, but he could not provide exact figures. Zawol District Governor Mohammad Saeed Sarwari confirmed the attack, saying that the Taliban confiscated weapons. Hours after the raid, the Taliban announced an unprecedented ceasefire with Afghan security forces for the first three days of Eid, the holiday that caps Ramadan.