On the morning of 1 March 2019, Taliban fighters launched a coordinated assault on Camp Shorabak in Helmand Province, a base used by Afghan forces and housing some international advisers. Attackers employed suicide bombers and small assault teams to penetrate the base perimeter, reportedly using captured Afghan uniforms and vehicles to confuse defenders. The violence killed 23 Afghan security personnel and wounded others before Afghan forces and supporting units repelled the attackers. The assault demonstrated the Taliban’s ability to mount complex attacks against fortified positions even while peace talks were underway elsewhere. It exposed vulnerabilities in base security and underscored the human cost borne by Afghan forces. The attack reverberated through military and political circles as a warning about the resilience of insurgent capabilities in southern Afghanistan.
