Afghan Taleban attacks NATO base; several dead

May 19, 2010 NATO has said that members of the Taleban launched an attack on the US-run in Afghanistan earlier today. Varying media reports say that between five to seven foreign service members were killed, and at least ten rebels.

NATO said the rebels started their assault before dawn using small arms, rockets, and grenades.

A spokeswoman for the base, Major, said the attackers did not gain access to Bagram, but that one building received minor damage, adding that gunfire had become more sporadic by midday.

The Taleban claimed responsibility for the attack; a spokesman for the group said twenty suicide bombers were involved.

Bagram is one of the largest bases in Afghanistan, lying 50 kilometers north of the capital, Kabul. Wednesday's violence comes a day after the Taleban launched an attack on a NATO convoy in Kabul, killing at least eighteen people, including six NATO soldiers &mdash; five US troops and one Canadian.