At least 40 of the Afghan National Army soldiers killed in the Taliban attack on Friday, at the 209 Shaheen Military Corps Headquarters in Balkh, were from Baghlan province, officials confirmed.

According to them, their remains have been sent home.

But relatives of the deceased blasted government on Sunday for the ongoing security situation in the country.

Qari Shamsullah was one of the officers killed by insurgents in the attack.

He had been married for only six months.

According Shamsullah’s brother, he called his family before his death and asked them to pray for the safety of him and his colleagues.

“He called on Friday around 2pm and said they were under siege and there was a possibility that they would be killed inside the mosque,” said Abdul Hadi, the victim’s brother.

“The incident happened due to negligence on the part of officials including the commander of the corps; are the sons of (President) Ashraf Ghani and (CEO Abdullah) Abdullah dying? Those who call themselves Muslims do not do such things. The Prophet has said that killing of people is not allowed,” said another victim’s relative, Mullah Abdul Rahim.

Tribal elders in Baghlan have meanwhile said that nine of the slain officers were from Nahreen district alone.

“Nine martyred soldiers have been identified, one officer so far has not been identified, I think nine of the martyrs belong to Nahreen’s Kahgadai area,” said Baghlan tribal elder Mohammad Omar Ghafoori.

Religious scholars have said that those who plotted the attack have nothing to do with Islam.

“No one is allowed to kill a Muslim while he is praying. Those who have committed the crime can’t be called Muslims; this is not coming from the rivalries between the Afghans; it is the foreigners who are plotting this,” said religious scholar Mawlawi Abdul Samad.

Taliban’s attack on the 209 Shaheen Army Corps in northern Balkh province left an estimated 130 soldiers dead.