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Another Taliban Attack Kills 11 Soldiers in Afghanistan

The Taliban claims another deadly attack in Afghanistan after it ambushed a convoy of army forces on Sunday in Herat Province, Western Afghanistan, killing 11 troops.
Photo by Rahmat Gul/AP

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A Taliban ambush and subsequent fighting has killed 11 soldiers in Herat Province, Western Afghanistan.

According to a statement released by Afghanistan's defense ministry today, an army logistics supply unit in the Karokh district of Herat came under attack on Sunday.

Ihsanullah Hayat, spokesman for the governor of Herat, told VICE News that the troops were on their way to the neighboring insecure province of Badghis when they were attacked by a large number of Taliban fighters, resulting in the death of 11 men.

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Related: Taliban Fighters Attack Afghanistan's Parliament, Killing a Woman and Child

Tolo News Agency said that six others were injured in skirmishes after the attack, which reportedly lasted five hours and resulted in the death of six Taliban members.

These attacks come in the wake of NATO combat troops leaving Afghanistan in December 2014, following 13 years in the country. The formal withdrawal has seen most foreign soldiers leaving Afghanistan, with only a small number remaining behind to train and support local forces.

Taliban attacks have increased since the group launched their annual spring offensive in late April, in which they vowed to carry out nationwide attacks targeting government officials and the military.

Just last week, the group claimed responsibility for an attack on the Afghan parliament which left two dead and dozens injured.

Related: The Taliban Tells the Islamic State to Get the Hell Out of Afghanistan

Watch the VICE News documentary, Afghanistan: What We're Leaving Behind