Former HIA commander gunned down in Baghlan

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): Unidentified gunmen have shot dead a commander of the Hekmatyar-led Hezb-i-Islami (HIA) in northern Baghlan province, local officials said.

Zabihullah Shuja, police spokesman, said that Ghani Amarkhel, one of the former HIA commanders, was taken out of his house before being shot dead in Chashma-i-Sher locality Saturday evening.

He added police had initiated a manhunt for the killers. No militant group has so far claimed responsibility of the murder.

Alam Jan Mujahid, a member of the Baghlan provincial council and an most important HIA leader, was killed in this province recently.

Jan Mohammad Akrami, a resident of Pul-i-Khumri, expressed concerns over the increasing number of illegal gunmen in the province. He alleged police had failed to rein in the armed individuals roaming around the city.

“The growing presence of armed men has sent the crime graph soaring. Increasing assassinations have to be prevented”, he added.

Hakim Khaleqi, another resident of Baghlan, said it was not the first time that illegal gunmen had committee murder, many other people had been killed by the groups lately, he added, stressing a stop to such crimes.

smea/mud