Mass grave found in Ghazni fort

GHAZNI CITY (PAN): An apparently centuries-old mass grave has been discovered under a security tower in the historic Qala Ghaznian in southern Ghazni province, police and residents said on Tuesday.

Human bones were unearthed during a cleanliness campaign in the fort, built about 1500 years ago in Ghazni City, the provincial capital, police chief Col. Zarawar Zahid told Pajhwok Afghan News.

An investigation had been launched to know how many skeletons the grave contained, he said. The cleanliness work was launched 10 days ago and the human remains were found when workers started digging around the security tower and walls.

A resident of Ghazni City, Ghulam Sakhi who runs a shop in front of the fort, said the bones seemed to be centuries old. He added the remains showed about 100 people had been buried in the grave. More skeletons could be found in a cave under the tower.

Another resident, Abdul Ghani, said the grave might be of the Sultan Mehmud Ghaznavi-era. Mahmud, the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty, ruled eastern Iranian lands from 997 until his death in 1030.

He turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into a wealthy capital of an extensive empire that covers most of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan and northwestern India.

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