Afghan spy chief quits on dispute with President Ashraf Ghani

The head of Afghanistan’s main intelligence agency resigned Thursday, laying bare disagreements with President Ashraf Ghani over his diplomatic outreach to Pakistan aimed at reviving peace talks with the resurgent Taliban.

The resignation of Rahmatullah Nabil comes as Afghanistan grapples with string of major Taliban attacks, including a 27-hour siege of Kandahar airport this week which killed at least 50 people.

Eleven Taliban suicide attackers on Tuesday breached the high-security Kandahar air field, which also houses a joint Nato-Afghan base, taking families hostage and triggering pitched firefights with soldiers.

In his resignation letter, Mr Nabil citied “a lack of agreement on policy matters” and restrictions imposed by the president which he alleged had hindered his ability to do his job.

The development comes a day after Mr Nabil posted a scathing Facebook post criticising Mr Ghani’s high-profile visit to Pakistan, the Taliban’s historic backer, on Wednesday for a regional conference.

The death toll from the 27-hour Taliban siege of Kandahar airport has jumped to at least 50, officials said Thursday, after a conference in Pakistan shored up international support for reviving peace talks.

Eleven suicide attackers on Tuesday breached the high-security complex which also houses a joint Nato-Afghan base, taking families hostage.

The raid is the most serious attack on the largest military installation in the south of the country during 14 years of war.

“Fifty of our innocent countrymen, including 10 soldiers, two policemen and 38 civilians, were martyred in the attack,” the defence ministry said.