Resurgent Taliban keeps making their moves to regain relevance in the terrorist ranking – PB/TK
Attack on Afghan base a reminder: Taliban pose the greater threat – By Scott Peterson April 26 2017
Istanbul—Disguised perfectly as Afghan soldiers, the 10 attackers launched the Taliban’s spring offensive in spectacular fashion, rolling undetected into one of the most secure army bases in northern Afghanistan, and killing some 170 recruits as they left Friday prayers.
The Taliban attack at Mazar-e Sharif’s Camp Shaheen appeared aimed at further undermining Afghanistan’s embattled leaders and security forces. And it delivered another psychological blow to Afghans hoping that this year might finally see government gains against a methodical, years-long Taliban advance.
It also served as a reminder that the Taliban, and not the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), still represent the most potent Islamist insurgency threatening Afghanistan
No detail appears to have been overlooked as the Taliban signaled how their tactics have evolved for the 2017 fighting season. One attacker was dressed like a wounded soldier, complete with a bloodied head bandage and intravenous drip stuck in his arm, as the Taliban’s look-alike vehicles passed through seven checkpoints to access their target.
According to the Taliban, a number of disgruntled Afghan soldiers inside the base helped orchestrate the slaughter – the deadliest attack on any military base in the 16-year war.
Continue to csmonitor.com article http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2017/0426/Attack-on-Afghan-base-a-reminder-Taliban-pose-the-greater-threat
