Afghan soldiers carry coffins containing bodies at a military base in northern Afghanistan on Saturday, a day after it was targeted by Taliban militants. The attack killed at least 136 Afghan soldiers, and Monday, the resignations of Defense Minister Abdullah Habibi and army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahin were announced. Photo by Mutalib Sultani/EPA

April 24 (UPI) -- Afghanistan's defense minister and army chief of staff resigned Monday, days after a Taliban attack that left at least 136 Afghan soldiers dead, the Afghan president said.

"Defense Minister Abdullah Habibi and Army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim stepped down with immediate effect," an announcement by President Asraf Ghani's office said.

The resignations came as U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Kabul for an unannounced visit, and after the Afghan legislature voted to summon Habibi for an explanation of Friday's attack.

A suicide attack in northern Balkh province on the base of the 209th Shaheen Corps of the Afghan army was launched by at least 10 Taliban members dressed in Afghan military uniforms. The insurgents attacked as most of the Afghan troops were at noon prayers on Friday, opening the base to enter shooting. The majority of the Afghan soldiers were young recruits who struggled to determine fellow soldiers from enemies, witnesses told the BBC.</s>(CNN) US Secretary of Defense James Mattis has arrived in Afghanistan, where he is meeting government officials including President Ashraf Ghani.

Mattis underscored at a news conference Monday that the purpose of his visit was to help inform his recommendations on America's strategy in Afghanistan moving forward, but he declined to share what those recommendations might be.

He did say, "We are under no illusions about the challenges associated with this mission," adding that "2017 is going to be another tough year for the valiant Afghan security forces and the international troops who have stood and who will continue to stand should to shoulder with Afghanistan against terrorism."

Mattis started his visit at the headquarters of Operation Resolute Support , the NATO-led mission to train and advise Afghan security forces.

His arrival in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, comes just days after an attack on a northern army base that left more than 100 Afghan soldiers dead or wounded.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for Friday's raid at Camp Shaheen near Mazar-e Sharif , with a spokesman telling CNN it was revenge for the deaths of two of its officials in the region.

Defense Secretary James Mattis and US Army General John Nicholson meet with Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security Director Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai in Kabul on April 24, 2017.

Mattis called the attack on unarmed soldiers at a mosque and dining facility proof that the insurgent group was a "barbaric enemy," saying of the Taliban, "These people have no religious foundation, they are not devout anything, and it shows why we stand with the people of this country against such heinous acts."

A senior US military official said Monday that the US had intelligence that the Haqqani network, a branch of the Taliban known for complex attacks, was likely behind the assault.

The official added that the attack probably took "four to six months" to plan given its complexity, another factor that pointed to the Haqqani network's involvement.

US officials have long said that the Haqqani group has enjoyed sanctuary in neighboring Pakistan, allowing it to launch attacks inside Afghanistan. The US has repeatedly asked the Pakistani government to crack down on the terror group.

The defense secretary was due to meet with his Afghan counterpart, but hours before Mattis touched down in Kabul, Ghani announced that his defense minister and army chief of staff had resigned.

The senior military official said the resignations were "not a surprise" given Ghani's emphasis on establishing accountability for security officials. The official said that replacements had been sought since the ISIS-claimed attack on a military hospital earlier this year.

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Mattis's visit to Afghanistan follows meetings in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, Qatar and Djibouti.

he Defense Department said his tour is aimed at reaffirming key US military alliances, engaging with strategic partners and discussing cooperation to counter terrorism.

US troops have been fighting for nearly 16 years in Afghanistan, where the government and its coalition allies are battling a resilient Taliban as well as other terror groups including ISIS.

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Attacks and counterattacks

American forces enjoyed a brief victory last week, when the US military said Taliban leader Quari Tayib was killed in an airstrike in Kunduz province.

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But it was followed by Friday's attack at Camp Sheehan. The slaughter lasted around six hours. By the end, at least five attackers were killed and one was arrested, Afghan army spokesman Abdul Qahar Araam said.

The commander of Resolute Support, Gen. John Nicholson , said the attack "shows the barbaric nature of the Taliban."

He said Afghan soldiers and security forces "have my personal assurance that we will continue to stand with them."

Asked about the massive airstrike in Nangarhar Province, Nicholson said, "We were sending a very clear message to ISIS, not only ISIS in Afghanistan but ISIS main, if they come here to Afghanistan they will be destroyed."

Security situation 'a stalemate'

In February, Nicholson told the Senate Armed Services Committee that leadership assesses "the current security situation in Afghanistan as a stalemate."

He cited the government's stability; Afghan military casualties; the influence of Pakistan, Russia and Iran; "the convergence" of various terror groups; the narcotics trade and corruption.

There are 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan and 6,000 troops from NATO and allied counties. Nicholson said the coalition faces "a shortfall of a few thousand troops" to break the "stalemate."

Insurgent gains

From January 1 through November 12 last year, 6,785 Afghan national security forces were killed, according to the latest quarterly report of the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction.

Casualties among international troops have dropped dramatically since the NATO-led effort shifted from a combat role to an advisory role in 2014.

The agency's analysis of information from US forces in Afghanistan "suggests that the security situation in Afghanistan has not improved this quarter."

"The numbers of the Afghan security forces are decreasing, while both casualties and the number of districts under insurgent control or influence are increasing," according to the January 30 report to Congress.</s>Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers keep watch at the gate of an army headquarters a day after an attack in Mazar-i-Sharif, northern Afghanistan April 22, 2017. ― Reuters picKABUL, April 24 ― Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accepted the resignations of his defence minister and army chief of staff today, after more than 140 soldiers were killed last week in the deadliest ever Taliban attack on a military base, the president’s office said.

“Defence Minister Abdullah Habibi and Army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim stepped down with immediate effect,” the presidential palace announced in a post on its Twitter account.

Shah Hussain Murtazawi, acting spokesman for Ghani, told Reuters the resignations were because of Friday’s attack on a major army base in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

In a serious security failure, as many as 10 Taliban fighters, dressed in Afghan army uniforms and driving military vehicles, made their way onto the base and opened fire on soldiers and new recruits eating a meal and leaving a mosque after Friday prayers, according to officials.

Multiple Afghan officials said the final death toll was likely to be even higher.

The attackers used rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns, and suicide vests, they said.

Ghani declared yesterday a day of mourning, ordering flags to be flown at half staff.

Today, a small group of demonstrators gathered outside the presidential palace in Kabul to demand the resignation of top Afghan defence officials over the attack.

The attack, and resulting military leadership shake-up, come as the Afghan army prepares for what is expected to be a year of hard fighting against Taliban militants, who now control or contest more than 40 per cent of the country.

Nearly 9,000 US troops remain in Afghanistan, in addition to thousands of international coalition forces.

The administration of new US President Donald Trump is considering whether to make changes to the US mission training and advising Afghan forces, and conducting raids against militant groups such as Islamic State.

The German military, which has led much of the advising effort in northern Afghanistan, said in the wake of the attack it would continue to work with the Afghans. ― Reuters</s>Following the Army Camp attack in Mazar Sharif, Afghan Army Chief and Defence Minister resigned from their posts, reported Afghan Media.

At least 140 soldiers were killed in the attack conducted by Afghan Taliban.

According to reports Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has accepted the resignations of both officials.

There was a huge call for Afghan Army Chief’s resignation after the attack, as it is among the worst attacks on military on Afghanistan.

President Ashraf Ghani declared a national day of mourning after scores of soldiers were killed by Taliban fighters disguised as fellow soldiers, in the deadliest attack of its kind on an Afghan military base.

The defense ministry has said more than 100 died or were injured in the Friday attack in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, but no exact numbers have been released.

One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters at least 140 soldiers were killed and many others wounded. Other officials said the toll was likely to be even higher.

The attack starkly highlighted the difficulty of the long struggle by the Afghan government and its international backers to defeat the Taliban insurgency.

After arriving in Mazar-i-Sharif to visit the base on Saturday, Ghani ordered that flags be flown at half mast on Sunday in memory of the troops who died.

Ghani held an emergency meeting with senior security officials and called for a "serious" investigation into the attack.

In a statement online, he condemned the attack as "cowardly" and the work of "infidels".

As many as 10 Taliban fighters, dressed in Afghan army uniforms and driving military vehicles, made their way into the base and opened fire on mostly unarmed soldiers eating and leaving a mosque after Friday prayers, according to officials.

They used rocket-propelled grenades and rifles, and several detonated suicide vests packed with explosives, officials said.

Witnesses described a scene of confusion as soldiers were uncertain about the attackers' true identity.

"It was a chaotic scene and I didn't know what to do," said one army officer wounded in the attack. "There was gunfire and explosions everywhere."

The base is the headquarters of the Afghan National Army's 209th Corps, responsible for much of northern Afghanistan, including Kunduz, a province which has seen heavy fighting.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Saturday the attack on the base was retribution for the recent killing of several senior Taliban leaders in northern Afghanistan.

The U.S. military command in Kabul said an American air strike had killed a commander, Quari Tayib, and eight other Taliban on April 17.

Mujahid said the attack on the base killed as many as 500 soldiers, including senior commanders.

Four of the attackers were Taliban sympathizers who had infiltrated the army and served for some time, Mujahid said. The Afghan army did not confirm that.

The NATO-led military coalition deploys advisers to the base to train and assist Afghan forces but coalition officials said no foreign troops had been hurt.

U.S. Navy Captain Bill Salvin, spokesperson for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission, said there were a small number of coalition force advisers on the base at the time of the attack.

"They sheltered in place during the incident. The Afghan Special Forces brought the attack to an end," Salvin said.

The commander of coalition forces, U.S. General John Nicholson, said in a statement on Friday that the attack "shows the barbaric nature of the Taliban."

German forces have long led the international mission in northern Afghanistan.

In Berlin, military officials said the work of the mission on the base would be on hold for one or two days while the Afghan army investigated the attack, but would resume.

"The situation shows that we cannot stop supporting, training and advising our Afghan partners," a German Operations Command spokesman said.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s army chief and defense minister resigned on Monday, following a Taliban attack over the weekend that struck a northern army base, killing more than 100 military and other personnel, officials said.

The attack — the biggest ever by the Taliban on a military base in Afghanistan — involved multiple gunmen and suicide bombers in army uniforms who penetrated the compound of the 209th Corps of the Afghan National Army in northern Balkh province on Friday, killing and wounding scores.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, which according to some estimates killed over 130 people.

President Ashraf Ghani accepted the resignations of the army chief of staff and the country’s defense minister, according to a statement from the president’s office. It was not immediately clear who would replace Defense Minister Abdullah Habibi and Army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim.

The authorities have not released definitive numbers for the casualty tolls but Afzel Hadid, the head of the provincial council in Balkh, told The Associated Press that at least 130 people were killed and 80 were wounded.

A senior American military official in Kabul on Monday gave the latest Afghan estimate as standing at 144 Afghan soldiers killed and said it was likely to rise further.

The official said it appears likely the attack was either carried out by or planned by a Pakistan-based Taliban faction known as the Haqqani network, which is a U.S. government-designated terrorist organization. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss intelligence matters, added the assault likely took four to six months to plan and that it was also likely the attackers had help in advance from Afghan troops on the base.

Also on Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived unannounced in Kabul to assess what has become America’s longest war as the Trump administration weighs sending in more U.S. troops to help the Afghans fight the insurgency.

Ghani traveled to the base in Balkh on Saturday from where he strongly condemned the attack, according to a tweet from the official Twitter account of the presidential palace. Afghanistan marked a day of national mourning on Sunday, with memorial services held at mosques and the Afghan flag flying at half-staff on government buildings and offices.

In the Taliban’s detailed statement on the attack, posted on the militant group’s website, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that four of the 10 attackers were disguised as soldiers.

The statement said the attack was in retaliation for the killing of the Taliban shadow governor of Kunduz province, Mullah Abdul Salam Akhund, and threatened more violence against the army and police, saying “this year’s operations will be painful.”

The attackers managed to pass through two checkpoints at the base, driving in two military vehicles. When security guards stopped them at a third gate, the attackers opened fire and two suicide bombers blew themselves up.

The military’s 209th corps is located in the Dihdadi district of Balkh. It is one of seven corps of the country’s Ministry of Defense, which is responsible for providing security for Afghanistan’s northern and northeastern provinces.

The attack in Balkh raises serious questions about the Afghan military’s capability to stand on its own in the battle against the insurgency following the withdrawal of foreign combat forces at the end of 2014. The American and other foreign troops remaining in Afghanistan are now mostly acting in an advisory and training role, with some combat assistance.

In March, an attack on a military hospital in Kabul killed 50 people. Responsibility for that attack was claimed by the Islamic State group, which has emerged and gained a foothold in Afghanistan over the past years.

AP National Security Correspondent Robert Burns in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report.</s>Army chief and defence minister forced to step down as country mourns loss of 130 lives in Taliban assault on army base.

Afghanistan's army chief and defence minister have resigned following a Taliban attack on an army base over the weekend that killed more than 100 people, as the US defence secretary arrived in Kabul on an unannounced visit.

The attack, the biggest ever by the Taliban on a military base in Afghanistan , involved multiple attackers and suicide bombers in army uniforms who penetrated the compound of the 209th Corps of the Afghan National Army in northern Balkh province on Friday.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, which according to some estimates killed over 130 people.

President Ashraf Ghani accepted the resignations of Qadam Shah Shahim, the army chief of staff and Abdullah Habibi, the country's defence minister, on Monday, according to a statement from the president's office.

Jim Mattis was expected to meet Afghan officials and US troops, but his arrival coincided with the Friday's Taliban assault. Sources told Al Jazeera that his arrival is to determine role and goals of the US troops in Afghanistan.

"It is not an easy time. An attack of this scale has affected many people in this country and of course us as well, but these resignations did not affect our morale," General Dawlat Waziri, a spokesperson of the Afghan Ministry of Defense, told Al Jazeera.

"We will make sure that whoever is responsible for this attack will face our wrath, they [attackers/Taliban] need to get ready now."

IN PICTURES: The Afghans on the frontlines fighting the Taliban

Protesters gathered outside the presidential palace in Kabul on Monday mounting pressure for officials to held accountable, but not many did not participate in the demonstration due to high security alert in the area.

"Our government is responsible for what happened to our soldiers in Balkh and we want accountability, we demand it," Mustafa Aminizada told Al Jazeera.

"This can not keep going on, it is too much for us. The government needs to make some serious changes."

Al Jazeera's Rob McBride, reporting from Kabul, said they were forced to resign and their positions were "untenable".

"Given the scale of the attack, which has been described as nothing short of a massacre, there have been growing calls on social media, the local media, the streets and even in parliament for both of these men to go," he said.

"Both of these men were under pressure for a similar attack just over a month ago when infiltrators managed to get inside a hospital and claimed more than 50 lives."

"The defence minister managed to escape a vote of no-confidence in parliament and narrowly held on to his job. So, both men have now taken a logical step."

On Sunday, Afghanistan marked a day of national mourning , with memorial services held at mosques and the Afghan flag flying at half-staff on government buildings and offices across the country.

The attack in Balkh raises serious questions about the Afghan military's capability to stand on its own in the civil war following the withdrawal of foreign combat forces at the end of 2014.

"We're also approaching a sensitive time when the Taliban launches its spring offensive. The military has to be on its guard," our correspondent said.

"This attack further undermines the military. There has already been talk about corruption and allegations of poor leadership. This does nothing to strengthen the army at this time."

Al Jazeera's political analyst, Hashmat Moslih, said the attack highlighted the continuous failure of military intelligence as well as the wider intelligence gathering of security forces.

"While the Taliban have homed in on toppling the government, the government's efforts are scattered," he said.

"The government is predominantly engaged in undermining its political rivals within the power sharing government."

The American and other foreign troops remaining in Afghanistan are now mostly acting in an advisory and training role, with some combat assistance.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s army chief and defense minister resigned on Monday, following a Taliban attack over the weekend that struck a northern army base, killing more than 100 military and other personnel, officials said.

The attack — the biggest ever by the Taliban on a military base in Afghanistan — involved multiple gunmen and suicide bombers in army uniforms who penetrated the compound of the 209th Corps of the Afghan National Army in northern Balkh province on Friday, killing and wounding scores.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, which according to some estimates killed over 130 people.

President Ashraf Ghani accepted the resignations of the army chief of staff and the country’s defense minister, according to a statement from the president’s office.

It was not immediately clear who would replace Defense Minister Abdullah Habibi and Army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim.

The authorities have not released definitive numbers for the casualty tolls but Afzel Hadid, the head of the provincial council in Balkh, told The Associated Press that at least 130 people were killed and 80 were wounded.

Also on Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived unannounced in Kabul to assess what has become America’s longest war as the Trump administration weighs sending in more U.S. troops to help the Afghans fight the insurgency.

Ghani on Saturday traveled to the base in Balkh from where he strongly condemned the attack, according to a tweet from the official Twitter account of the presidential palace. And on Sunday, Afghanistan marked a day of national mourning, with memorial services held at mosques and the Afghan flag flying at half-staff on government buildings and offices across the country.

In the Taliban’s detailed statement on the attack, posted on the militant group’s website, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that four of the 10 attackers were disguised as soldiers.

The statement said the attack was in retaliation for the killing of the Taliban shadow governor of Kunduz province, Mullah Abdul Salam Akhund, and threatened more violence against the army and police, saying “this year’s operations will be painful.”

The attackers managed to pass through two checkpoints at the base, driving in two military vehicles. When security guards stopped them at a third gate, the attackers opened fire and two suicide bombers blew themselves up.

The military’s 209th corps is located in the Dihdadi district of Balkh. It is one of seven corps of the country’s Ministry of Defense, which is responsible for providing security for Afghanistan’s northern and northeastern provinces.

The attack in Balkh raises serious questions about the Afghan military’s capability to stand on its own in the battle against the insurgency following the withdrawal of foreign combat forces at the end of 2014. The American and other foreign troops remaining in Afghanistan are now mostly acting in an advisory and training role, with some combat assistance.

In March, an attack on a military hospital in Kabul killed 50 people. Responsibility for that attack was claimed by the Islamic State group, which has emerged and gained a foothold in Afghanistan over the past years.</s>Days after the brazen Taliban attack on an Afghan military base, top U.S. military officials are "not refuting" reports Russia has been arming the insurgent group.

"We continue to get reports of this assistance and, of course, we had the overt legitimacy lent to the Taliban recently by the Russians that really occurred late last year," said U.S. General John Nicholson, the ground commander for international forces in Afghanistan.

Nicholson made the comments Monday in Kabul alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who made a previously unannounced visit to Afghanistan, after stops in Qatar and Djibouti.

Mattis noted Russia is choosing to be a strategic competitor in a number of areas, including in the war-torn South Asian country.

"We will engage with Russia diplomatically, we will do so where we can, but we will have to confront Russia when what they are doing is contrary to international law or denying the sovereignty of other countries," Mattis told reporters in the Afghan capital, where he also met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.

The U.S. defense secretary's visit Monday comes days after about 10 Taliban militants killed at least 140 people April 21 in the deadliest insurgent raid on an Afghan military base in 16 years.

The militants were dressed as Afghan soldiers when they arrived at the regional headquarters of the Afghan National Army in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province.

General Mohammad Radmanesh, a spokesperson of the Afghan Ministry of Defense, said that the militants were allowed on the base without all of the proper checks after pleading for urgent care for a man in their vehicle who was covered in blood.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was in retaliation for the recent killings of Taliban shadow governors for Kunduz and Baghlan provinces.

The Afghan government is investigating the incident and, on Monday, President Ghani announced that Defense Minister Abdullah Habibi and Army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim were stepping down in the aftermath of the siege.

Mattis on Monday noted the "barbaric" nature of the attack and the challenges associated with the mission.

"2017 is going to be another tough year for the valiant Afghan security forces and the international troops who have stood, and will continue to stand, shoulder to shoulder with Afghanistan against terrorism," he said.

The defense secretary said there was a "pretty low standard" for the Taliban to join the Afghan political process, noting they "need only to renounce violence and reject terrorism."

Mattis traveled to Afghanistan as U.S. President Donald Trump has directed a review of U.S. policy for the country and as Ghani looks to announce a four-year security plan for his nation in the coming weeks.

Possible elements of the four-year plan include the provision of up to 200 U.S. helicopters and other aircraft for Afghan forces, along with doubling the number of Afghan special forces, according to U.S. and Afghan officials familiar with the ongoing discussions.

However, a U.S. official stressed to VOA on Monday that the Pentagon is still working with Congress and the White House to firm up the new administration's Afghanistan policy and financial commitments before making any final planning decisions.

When asked by reporters Monday about deploying more U.S. forces to Afghanistan amid what General Nicholson has called a U.S. stalemate with the Taliban, Mattis said he was "owed some degree of confidentiality" on what he will recommend to Trump.

"Right now we are engaged in defining the challenge [and] the way ahead with a whole lot of nations. There is no one nation that is going to carry all of this," Mattis said.</s>Afghan officials say the country's army chief and the defense minister have resigned following the weekend Taliban attack at a northern army base that killed more than 100 military and other personnel.

The officials say President Ashraf Ghani accepted the resignations on Monday. It was not immediately clear who would replace Defense Minister Abdullah Habibi and Army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim.

The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The president's official Twitter account also confirmed the resignations.

In Friday's attack, gunmen and suicide bombers wearing army uniforms struck the compound of the 209th Corps of the Afghan National Army in northern Balkh province, killing and wounding scores. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault.</s>Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accepted the resignations of his defence minister and army chief of staff on Monday, after more than 140 soldiers were killed last week in the deadliest-ever Taliban attack on a military base, the president's office said.

"Defence Minister Abdullah Habibi and Army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim stepped down with immediate effect," the presidential palace announced in a post on its Twitter account.

Shah Hussain Murtazawi, acting spokesman for Ghani, told Reuters the resignations were because of Friday's attack on a major army base in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

The resignations come as U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis arrived in Afghanistan on Monday as President Donald

 Trump's administration looks to construct its strategy for the war-torn country.

Mattis is expected to meet Afghan officials and U.S. troops while in Kabul.

In a serious security failure, as many as 10 Taliban fighters, dressed in Afghan army uniforms and driving military vehicles, made their way onto the base and opened fire on soldiers and new recruits eating a meal and leaving a mosque after Friday prayers, according to officials.

Multiple Afghan officials said the final death toll was likely to be even higher.
• More than 900 kids killed in Afghanistan in 2016: UN

The attackers used rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns, and suicide vests, they said. Ghani declared Sunday a day of mourning, ordering flags to be flown at half staff.

On Monday, a small group of demonstrators gathered outside the presidential palace in Kabul to demand the resignation of top Afghan defence officials over the attack.
• U.S. drops 'mother of all bombs' in Afghanistan

The attack, and resulting military leadership shake-up, come as the Afghan army prepares for what is expected to be a year of hard fighting against Taliban militants, who now control or contest more than 40 percent of the country.

Nearly 9,000 U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan, in addition to thousands of international coalition forces.

The administration of new U.S. President Donald Trump is considering whether to make changes to the U.S. mission training and advising Afghan forces, and conducting raids against militant groups such as Islamic State.

The German military, which has led much of the advising effort in northern Afghanistan, said in the wake of the attack it would continue to work with the Afghans.
• Afghan reconstruction said to be 'tenuous and incomplete'
The Afghan Minister of Defense, Abdullah Habibi and the Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army, Qadam Shah Shahim, resign after a Taliban attack on Camp Shaheen near Mazar-i-Sharif that claimed over 140 lives.