Kabul, Oct 19 (UNI) At least 43 Afghan troops were killed and nine were wounded in a Taliban claimed suicide attack on an army base in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, the defence ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Of 60 soldiers manning the base, 43 were killed, nine wounded, and six missing after Taliban fighters stormed the camp in the middle of Wednesday night, the defence ministry added in its statement. At least 10 Taliban were also reported killed in the battle, which occurred in Maiwand, a district that neighbours volatile Helmand province. According to Reuters, the attack began when a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden American-made Humvee armoured vehicle, likely captured from Afghan security forces, into the gate of the base. Taliban fighters then assaulted the facility, setting off several hours of fighting that killed nearly every Afghan soldier there and wounded nine. The base itself was left in ruins. The United States and its allies maintain thousands of troops across Afghanistan, including in Kandahar, to advise and assist Afghan forces as well as conduct strikes against suspected militants. US President Donald Trump committed to an open-ended military mission in Afghanistan in August despite criticism that it is no closer to peace despite billions of dollars in aid and nearly 16 years of US and allied operations. A spokesman at the coalition military command in Kabul said, "We can confirm that US forces conducted an air strike during an operation in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province, October 19, under counter-terror authorities." Earlier this week, a string of Taliban attacks in three separate provinces killed 74 people in some of the deadliest attacks of the year.Another 12 police officers died in two smaller Taliban strikes earlier Wednesday, government officials said. India also condemned the attack on Thursday saying that these attacks showed that safe havens and support systems continue to be available to the terrorists. UNI XC-SDR 1733