At least 25 security force members were killed and 15 others were wounded in the ongoing attack by militants on a military base in southern Helmand province, the 215 Maiwand Military Corps officials told TOLOnews. 

According to sources, the gunfire is still ongoing.

The military base came under attack by a group of militants on Friday morning. 

This is the highest death toll among the security forces members since Acting Defense Minister Assadullah Khalid has taken office. 

Helmand governor’s office on Friday morning in a statement said a military base came under attack by a group of militants. 

The statement said the attack was carried out against the 215 Maiwand Corps inside Camp Shorab in the province. 

The attack has been repelled and at least three suicide bombers and six attackers were killed, the statement said. 

The statement added that clearance operation is ongoing by the Afghan forces. 

The attack on 215 Maiwand Corps in Helmand was carried out by 12 attackers, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement, adding that four attackers were killed, others are under siege by Afghan forces.

"The attack was repelled by the brave Afghan Security Forces," the US Forces-Afghanistan spokesman Col. Dave Butler said in a tweet on Friday morning, adding that "the Afghan Security Forces fight for the people of Afghanistan and they are the defenders of the people".

Sources told TOLOnews that the attack started at 2am on Friday by 27 gunmen who attacked the military base from three directions. 

According to the sources, the militants stormed a training facility of the military base and have taken a number of soldiers as hostages. 

“How the militants reached there with rangers, Humvees, uniforms and military equipment? It shows the weakness of the intelligence departments,” said Gulalai Akbari, a senator. 

The Ministry of Defense said that 12 gunmen were involved in the attack and that it was a complex attack.

Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

More details will be added to this story.