Nine soldiers under the command of the Defense Ministry, were killed in an attack by a group of Taliban militants in Marawar village in Qarabagh District of Ghazni Province on December 13, reports Tolo News. A local source said at least 23 members of the local army were killed in the attack. However, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Fawad Aman, claimed that nine soldiers of the local army were killed in the attack. According to Defense spokesman, the attack was carried out by seven attackers and have taken the weapons of the soldiers and have joined the Taliban.