Blast Shakes Taliban Security Base in Northeastern Afghanistan

A blast shook a Taliban military base next to the airport in Faizabad, the capital of Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan province, a government official said on Tuesday.

The Taliban official confirmed on condition of anonymity that an explosion had occurred at the base but would not provide further details.

It remained unclear what caused the explosion, which was heard some two kilometers (over a mile) away from the airport, local residents told AFP.

The area around the site was cordoned off by authorities.

The base is next to the city's small airstrip, which is not currently served by commercial airlines.