Taliban kill 8 Afghan guards at US base (Lead)

Kabul June 20 (IANS) At least eight Afghan security guards at Bagram Air Base the United States largest military base in Afghanistan were killed in an ambush by the Taliban while on their way to work an official said on Tuesday.

The attack in which two other guards were wounded occurred on Monday night in Shahkoh village in the Parwan province while they were on their way to the base said the provincial governor s spokesperson Wahida Shahkar.

In this armed attack eight people were killed and two others were injured Shahkar told Efe news.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement in which he accused the victims of spying for the US.

In November 2016 a suicide bombing inside the base killed four Americans and injured 17 people. Violence in Afghanistan has intensified since the end of NATO s combat mission in 2015.

The current NATO mission in Afghanistan deploys around 13 000 troops for providing assistance to Afghan troops. The US maintains some 8 400 troops as part of the mission and other anti-terrorism activities.

--IANS
soni/dg