Dozens of Afghan troops dead in Taliban base attack

<p><span style="line-height: 1.42857;">At least 50 Afghan soldiers have been killed in an attack by Taliban insurgents on a military base in northern Balkh province, military officials say.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.42857;">Reports say the number of casualties is far higher than the eight deaths initially reported.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.42857;">The military say that Friday's attack took place near a mosque at the base, located in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif. The Taliban said in a statement that they launched the attack.</span><br></p><p><br></p>