Increasing targeted killings in Badakhshan; Four former soldiers were shot dead by the Taliban.
Despite the Taliban’s commitment to a “general amnesty,” local sources in Badakhshan province say four former government soldiers have been shot dead by Taliban militants; This is an incident that once again calls into question the group’s claims of amnesty for opponents.
According to local sources, members of the Taliban’s special group raided people’s homes in Band-e-Zulzama area of Raghestan district on Sunday evening and took four former soldiers away. The next day, the lifeless bodies of the men were found in the same area.
The victims were among the soldiers who had taken refuge in Iran after the fall of the republican government, but had recently crossed the border and returned to Afghanistan.
Local witnesses say the Taliban are purposefully seeking to identify, arrest and kill former government soldiers by forming a special unit; The killings are often attributed to “unknown” individuals, but locals blame the Taliban.
This is not the first time that reports of arrests, torture and killings of former soldiers have been published in different districts of Badakhshan.
However, a new wave of mysterious killings in recent days has raised concerns about widespread human rights violations and the lack of immunity for returnees.
The Taliban have so far remained silent on the incident.
