Afghans are still reeling from the Taliban’s deadliest attack on the security forces since 2001, with the country’s leadership accused of fumbling the response to the atrocity. As many as a dozen militants stormed the largest army base in northern Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 140 soldiers, many of them unarmed.The president, Ashraf Ghani, called for a national day of mourning and travelled to Mazar-i-Sharif to visit the base, but many among a grieving population called for answers, reassurances – and government heads to roll. In an apparent attempt to save face, the central administration has continuously downplayed the death toll, which has been confirmed by anonymous officials in many corners of government.Forty-eight hours after the attack, the president’s office and the defence ministryput the number of dead and injured at “more than 100”. Sediq Sediqqi, the director of the government’s media and information centre, said officials were still verifying the identity of the victims.

Victims’ relatives, however, were losing patience.(guardian)…[+]