Officials: Suicide Bomber Hits Afghan Base

A Taliban suicide bomber attacked an army base in southern Helmand province Saturday killing four civilians and two soldiers, officials said.

Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor in Helmand, said three civilians and two soldiers were wounded in the attack in Nad Ali district. The bomber targeted the base using a mini-van, Zwak said.

Maj. Abdul Qadeer Bahadorzai, the army corps commander’s spokesman in the south, confirmed the attack. He said the death toll could change.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Taliban insurgents announced the start of their annual spring offensive last Wednesday, at a time when insurgents are already regularly launching attacks and battling security forces.

The group issued a statement Wednesday saying that the “Al-Khandaq” offensive would make use of “new and intricate tactics” aimed at “crushing, killing and capturing American invaders and their supporters.”

The onset of spring has traditionally brought an increase in violence in Afghanistan, as melting snows allow fighters to more easily traverse the mountainous terrain.

But in recent years the Taliban and an Islamic State group affiliate have carried out near-daily attacks year-round. The Taliban have seized control of districts across the country and regularly target Kabul, the capital.

The U.S. formally ended its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014, but thousands of American troops remain in the country in a counterterrorism and support role. The Trump administration has sent thousands of additional troops to try to change the course of America’s longest war.