Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Taliban claim attack on US base in Afghanistan

Updated at 10:02 pm on 2 December 2012

The Afghan interior ministry says eight suicide bombers have attacked a joint United States-Afghan air base in eastern Afghanistan.

At least one member of the Afghan security forces was killed and several Afghan and NATO troops were wounded.

The BBC's correspondent in Kabul says it was 'an ambitious, coordinated attack' which began at 6am local time.

The Taliban say they detonated a car bomb at an entrance to the base, then sent a second group of attackers wearing NATO uniforms.

A NATO spokesman said that according to initial reports the assault involved three suicide bombers and a number of other insurgents.

NATO forces responded with helicopters and the attack lasted less than an hour the spokesman said.

Both NATO and Afghan officials say the Taliban did not manage to enter the base.

NATO is gradually handing security over to Afghan forces ahead of the departure of most combat troops in 2014.

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