Relatives of members of the anti-Taliban movement, the Freedom Front, say the bodies of four of five members who were killed in a clash with the Taliban in Salang district in Parwan province last week have still not been returned to their families.
This comes after reports emerged on social media that all the bodies had been returned.
In a statement on Saturday, the front denied these claims and urged social media users not to spread misinformation.
According to the statement, the Taliban has so far handed over only one body but has prevented the family from holding a funeral. The statement also noted that the Red Crescent is trying to help the families retrieve the bodies.
On Monday, April 12, a clash broke out in Salang district between Taliban forces and members of the Freedom Front, which is mostly comprised of former security force members from the previous government.
The front confirmed the death of Basir Andarabi, Fahim Salangi, Burhan Andarabi, Abdul Basir Faryabi and Qurban Ali Bamiyani, but it has not confirmed the death of its commander Akmal Amir who is believed to have also died in the clash.
Taliban’s defense ministry has claimed that eight members of the front, including Akmal Amir, were killed in the clash.
Meanwhile, the front in its statement on Saturday claimed that families and relatives of the five members of the front who were killed in the clash are being “abused” by the Taliban. It asked international rights organizations and the UN to resolve the matter.
The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission last week condemned the Taliban’s “attack” on some families and relatives of freedom front members.
The commission said the Taliban has “abused and arrested” members of families and relatives of the freedom front victims.
