<span style="color: #222222;">Twenty four troopers of Afghan security forces were killed today in an insider attack on their base in southern Afghanistan. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Zabul Governor Rahmatullah Yarmal said that several infiltrators opened fire on their comrades as they slept, in one of the deadliest attacks since the United States signed a withdrawal deal with the Taliban last month. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The pre-dawn raid targeted a joint police and army headquarters near Qalat, the provincial capital, long considered a Taliban stronghold.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' Zabul Provincial Council Chief Ata Jan Haq Bayan said that 14 Afghan Army forces and 10 Policemen were killed in the attack. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He added that four other Afghan security forces were missing. Mr Bayan said, the attackers had connections with the Taliban insurgents. They fled in two military Humvee vehicles, along with a pickup truck, weapons and ammunition.</span><br />''