FARAH CITY (Pajhwok): Taliban militants pulled more than a dozen passengers from a bus and shot dead four of them in western Farah province on Monday, an official said.
Jawad Afghan, the governor’s spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News the incident took place on the Farah-Herat highway in Shamalgah area near the provincial capital, Farah City.
He said the rebels took 13 passengers hostage and shot four of them dead. Most of the hostages were civilians but they included some government officials, he said, gave no further details.
A resident of Jawin district, Nisar Ahmad, confirmed the incident, saying his brother was also on the 303 public transport bus when militants stopped it.
He said his brother boarded the bus after got injured in a car accident and he had been taken hostage with others by Taliban insurgents.
He said his brother was a farmer and was innocent. The Taliban stopped tens of other cars on the highway and have likely taken hostage more people.
Provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Mohammad Razaq Yaqubi said Afghan forces had reached Shamalgah area and had entered a clash with the rebels. He said about 400 militants, who had entered Bala Buluk district, were fighting against Afghan forces.
So far eight militants and one policemen had been in the clash, he said.
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