Relatives of the victims of a deadly attack on Hazaras in Daikundi province have reported that the assault was carried out by two men on motorbikes who identified themselves as members of the Taliban.
According to these accounts, the families were traveling from Daikundi to Ghor to greet pilgrims returning from the Arbaeen religious observance.
Images from the scene depict yet another tragedy in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, this time in the central province of Daikundi.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban condemned the attack, stating that 14 people were killed and six others injured.
Relatives of the victims told Amu TV that the attack took place at around 1 p.m. when the vehicle carrying the passengers was stopped in Qariodal village, in Daikundi’s Sang Takht district. The attackers, posing as Taliban members, asked the male passengers to step out of the vehicle under the pretext of taking a photograph with them. Moments later, they opened fire.
Witnesses to the event, who are also family members of the victims, said that all the men were shot dead in front of women and children. The victims, all of whom were Hazaras and Shiites, included 14 dead and four wounded.
According to the victims’ families, the Taliban has yet to take any action to investigate the incident. Many members of the Hazara community condemned the attack, accusing the Taliban of ignoring what they describe as an ongoing “genocide” against their ethnic group. Human rights activists have echoed these concerns, citing the incident as another example of targeted violence against Hazaras.
On Friday, the victims were buried in Daikundi, their families grieving an event they say will remain seared into the memories of the children who witnessed the killings.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it killed 15 people and wounded six others.
