Afghanistan

Three ex-military personnel killed by Taliban in a week: Sources

National resistance front (NRF) forces in Panjshir, Afghanistan. File photo.

At least three former military personnel were killed by the Taliban in various areas in the central Kapisa province last week, sources said as concerns are growing about the safety of the ex-members of the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF) that operated under the previous government.

Another former ANDSF member was arrested in the province last week, multiple sources said.

The attacks by the Taliban on former ANDSF members happened in Nijrab and Hese Awal Kohistan districts.

Muzammil Njirabi, a former army officer, had left home for irrigating his agricultural lands in Arbabkhil village in Nijrab at around 10:30 pm on Monday when he was attacked by Taliban members from the 5th battalion stationed in Kapisa, the sources said, adding that he died on the way to the hospital.

Ahmad Wali, a former army member, was also killed in the same scenario on Monday, July 18, when he was working on an agricultural field in Dara-e-Kalan village Nijrab district, two sources said, adding that the two had no links with the national resistance front (NRF) but they were killed on charges of links with the movement.

On Wednesday, July 20, Mohammad Nabi, a former police member, was shot dead by the Taliban near his home in Soratbeg Khil village in Hese Awal Kohistan district of Kapisa, sources said.

Moreover, Noor Agha, a former police member and a resident of Alasai district of Kapisa, was arrested by Taliban intelligence members on the border between Iran and Afghanistan on Thursday, July 21, sources said.

Relatives of the soldiers told Amu that they have been warned by the Taliban against any complaints or contact with the media on the incidents.

Taliban officials in Kapisa denied speaking on the incidents.

This comes as two sources said on Monday, July 18, that the Taliban government has sent its so-called agents to at least two main border cities with Iran to “identify” former military personnel and members of the national resistance front (NRF) who either travel to Iran or return to the country, two sources aware of the matter said.

The sources said that the Taliban has sent one person to each district of the central provinces, mostly north of Kabul, including Panjshir, Kapisa and Parwan. Those who have been sent are close and reliable members of the Taliban, the sources said.

‘Extrajudicial killings’ by Taliban

The United Nations office in Afghanistan, also called UNAMA, in a report on Wednesday, July 20, accused the Taliban of committing extrajudicial killings in Afghanistan in a period of 10 months of their rule in Afghanistan.

The report says the “general amnesty” of the Taliban announced on August 17 last year for former government officials and former military personnel was not upheld consistently as UNAMA recorded at least 160 extrajudicial killings of former government and security officials by members of the Taliban between during this time.

According to the report, the Taliban committed 160 extrajudicial killings, 178 arbitrary arrests and detentions, 23 instances of incommunicado detention, and 56 instances of torture and ill-treatment of former Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and government officials.

Taliban officials in Kabul rejected “all findings” in the UN report as baseless.