20 Taliban killed in own explosion: Officials

A powerful explosion at a suspected Taliban ammunition depot in Herat has killed 20 insurgents, local officials confirmed.

Officials said the incident took place Sunday in the village of Marabad in the Pashtun Zarghun district.

Herat Governor Wahid Qatali confirmed the incident and said the explosion happened while the Taliban were building suicide vests.

The explosion is believed to have taken place in an area under Taliban control.

This comes after first vice president Amrullah Saleh on Sunday condemned the use of ammonium nitrate and military grade explosives used by the Taliban.

Saleh claimed that the Taliban is getting the explosives from Pakistan.

He said the group has “resorted to mass production” of IEDS and “indiscriminate” use of these devices against civilians is a “crime against humanity”.

This also comes amid reports Sunday that at least 90 Taliban were killed and 17 wounded in Laghman, Nangarhar, Wardak, Badghis, Helmand and Kandahar provinces as a result of reciprocal operations by ANDSF in past 24 hours.

Ministry of defense also reported at additionally 37 IEDs were discovered and a large amount of their weapons were destroyed by ANA.