Defense Minister and Army Commander of Afghanistan Resign After Deadly Attack in Mazar-i-Sharif

Ashraf Ghani, the President of Afghanistan, accepted the resignation of the country's Defense Minister and Army Commander on Monday, April 23, following a deadly Taliban attack on a military base. In this attack, which occurred a week ago, over 140 soldiers were killed. According to Reuters, the Afghan presidential office announced via a tweet that 'Abdullah Habibi, the Defense Minister, and Qadam Shah Shahim, the Army Commander, have resigned from their positions.' Shah Hussain Mortazavi, Ghani's interim spokesman, told Reuters that this resignation was due to the attack on Friday on a large military base in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, in northern Afghanistan. The attack has been described as a major security failure, where 10 Taliban militants dressed in Afghan army uniforms and riding military vehicles entered the military base and opened fire on soldiers and newly recruited personnel who were having lunch and leaving a mosque after prayer. Several Afghan officials have stated that the casualties from this attack are likely to rise. The attackers used mortars, machine guns, and explosive belts in this assault. The President of Afghanistan declared Sunday a day of national mourning, and the country's flags were flown at half-mast. A small group of protesters gathered outside the presidential palace in Kabul on Monday, demanding the resignation of defense officials following this attack. This attack and the changes in military leadership come as Afghan forces prepare for a year expected to be challenging in the fight against Taliban militants, who currently control 40 percent of the country. Over 9,000 American soldiers, along with thousands of international coalition forces, remain in Afghanistan. The Donald Trump administration in the United States is reviewing changes to the mission of training and advising Afghan forces, and operations against militant groups such as ISIS.