Roundup: Afghanistan declares day of mourning as army base death toll increases

The Afghan government declared Sunday as a national mourning day to pay tribute for dozens of army personnel who were killed and injured after a massive Taliban attack at an army camp.

On Friday, 10 Taliban militants disguised in army uniform sneaked in army's Corps 209 Shaheen in northern Balkh province, spreading bullets on scores of unarmed soldiers and officers.

"In order to pay tribute to the honorable and brave Afghan soldiers who martyred in a terrorist attack during Friday prayers in Shaheen 209 Corps mosque, the president issued a decree and declared Sunday as a National Mourning Day," the presidential palace said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the commando style assault continued to rise amid the absence of official statement as of Sunday morning.

Local media 1TV, citing provincial officials, reported that the death toll of Friday's assault has surpassed 150 and over 80 others were wounded.

The toll was likely to further rise as several injured soldiers remained in critical condition. On Sunday morning, several bodies were handed over to their families or shifted to their houses.

"Special praying will be held in Presidential Palace mosque and at the mosques across the country and national flag will be half-hoisted at home and Afghan diplomatic missions abroad," the statement reads.

The heavily armed militants sitting in two military Ranger jeeps made their way after passing several security gates under the pretext of carrying wounded persons to the base hospital.

The assailants, holding fake documents, also conducted two suicide bomb blasts inside the base, locating on outskirts of provincial capital of Mazar-i-Sharif and one assailant together with a suicide jacket was captured after four-hour firings.

On Saturday, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani inspected the site and chaired an emergency security meeting at the base, ordering a serious investigation into deadly attack before visiting injured in the Corps hospital.

"This terrorist attack is fully contradictory to all human values and Islamic teachings. Lately, terrorists have not been feeling safe in any corner of the country as they have been subjected to and under attack of our heroic Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The people and Government of Afghanistan highly praise the sacrifices and spirit of invincibility of plucky ANDSF which will be recounted with golden lines in the history," the palace statement noted.

Among the casualties were newly recruits receiving training at the training center of the complex, according to local media.

"The attackers aboard Ranger vehicles fired by machine guns indiscriminately on unarmed military personnel walking near and around the mosque and dining hall," a hospitalized soldier told local media.

"They also used grenade launchers during the attack and launched two suicide bombings" he said.

Criticizing the government for slow release of information, the media and critics blamed some insider elements for facilitating the attack on the Corps which is responsible for the security of north and northeastern sides of the country.

Afghan security forces' casualties have risen recently as they struggle against a surge in attacks across the country.

The Taliban insurgency has been on the rampage since the beginning of 2015, as the Afghan security forces assumed full responsibility of security from the United States and NATO troops. Endit