FARAH CITY (Pajhwok): Taliban militants have shot dead at least seven of 16 the passengers they stopped on the highway in the capital of western Farah province, officials said on Wednesday.
Provincial Council Chairman Jamila Amini told Pajhwok Afghan News the Taliban stopped the passengers of a bus in the Shamal Gah area of Farah City late on Tuesday.
The public representative said the insurgents had killed seven of the 16 passengers they had seized from the bus while the fate of the rest was still unclear.
However, the governor’s spokesman, Nasir Mehri, said the Taliban had taken seven passengers hostage and killed them in separate locations on the outskirts of Farah City.
The victims were civilians hailing from Farah province, he said, adding the bodies of the slain passengers had been taken to Farah Civil Hospital.
Syed Ahmad, a brother-in-law of one victim, told Pajhwok his uncle served in the Afghan Local Police (ALP) three years ago. He said his uncle presently running a shop and had no links with the government.
A person, who wished to go unnamed, said the seven passengers were killed by a Taliban commander named Maula Dad -- who served as a police officer before joining the insurgent group eight months ago.
However, the Taliban said those killed were government officers, some of them army personnel. The other passengers still in their custody were being interrogated, they added.
The governor’s spokesman said Afghan forces had launched an operation in Shamal Gah after the incident and killed at least 10 militants. Two policemen were also injured during a clash with the rebels.
But the Taliban denied suffering casualties.
mds/mud
