Kandahar, Mar 1 (AFP) At least 23 Afghan security forces were killed in a Taliban attack on a joint US-Afghan base in southwestern Afghanistan, officials said Friday, as fighting continues amid a pause in peace talks between the insurgents and American negotiators.

"The operation is over -- 23 security forces killed, 15 injured and 20 insurgents killed," said Ghafoor Ahmad Jawed, a spokesman with the Ministry of Defence.

A separate source from the provincial government also confirmed the toll. (AFP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)