Taliban forces staged a deadly attack on the German consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif, northern Afghanistan, in the night of Nov. 10, NATO officials said. The militants breached the outer walls of the consulate with a car bomb, then fought with onsite security, killing four people. The consulate building was severely damaged in the battle.
No consular staff were among the victims. A local doctor told Reuters that the blast and battle had wounded 120 people.
Germany has thousands of troops and police stationed Afghanistan, which has been occupied by NATO forces since 2001. Dozens of Germans have died engaging Islamist militants.
Following the attack, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Germany would review its lead role in the international mission in northern Afghanistan. Last year, Taliban troops took the city of Kunduz, one of their biggest victories until it was retaken by the NATO-backed Afghan government a few months later.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters by telephone that they were responsible for the Nov. 10 attack, which was a “mission to destroy the German consulate general and kill whoever they found there.”
Germany has about 850 troops stationed at a base in Mazar-i-Sharif, along with 1,000 personnel from partner countries.
The United States withdrew most of its troops from the country in 2014, but thousands remain to assist the local government. Earlier this month, two American servicemen were killed fighting in Kunduz.
(NTD Television)
Featured image: A German Bundeswehr soldier patrols high ground and searches for improvised explosive devices during a regular patrol on October 17, 2010 near Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan. Credit: Miguel Villagran/Getty Images