On January 21, 2019, a Taliban suicide bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives at a military base in Maidan Shar, Wardak Province. The explosion leveled part of the compound, killing over 120 Afghan security personnel. It was one of the deadliest attacks on Afghan forces in years. The Taliban said the strike was retaliation for ongoing U.S.-Afghan military operations. The attack drew international condemnation and renewed debate about the feasibility of peace negotiations with the Taliban.
