Maidan Shar attack

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Maidan Shar attack

On 21 January 2019, in central Afghanistan’s Maidan Wardak Province, Taliban militants attacked a National Directorate of Security (NDS) training camp in Maidan Shar. The assault began when a car packed with explosives rammed through a checkpoint and exploded at the NDS grounds. Two gunmen then entered the base and opened fire before being killed by security forces.

Casualties and claims: Afghan defense ministry said 126 people were killed and 58–70 were injured. The Taliban claimed more than 190 people were killed. The NDS later reported 36 dead. The figures were disputed in the days that followed, with other officials suggesting higher totals and some civilians may have been affected.

Attack details and context: The bomb used a Humvee seized from government forces. Some local officials said the attackers wore Afghan special forces uniforms. The attack occurred on the same day when Taliban representatives met U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in Qatar.

Aftermath and reactions: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack, calling the assailants enemies of the country. There was debate over whether the base trained militia forces known as public uprising forces, though Ghani later said only NDS personnel were targeted. On 23 January, the NDS said they killed the attack organizer and seven militants in an airstrike, a claim the Taliban rejected. Iran, Turkey, and the United States condemned the attack.