KABUL (Pajhwok): An influential international group has accused CIA-trained Afghan strike groups of committing summary executions and other grave abuses without accountability.
In a new report on Thursday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) held the militants responsible for extrajudicial killings, attacks on medical workers, disappearances and other abuses between 2017 and mid-2019.
The allegations surfaced in HRW interviews with dozens of locals, witnesses to raids and watchdogs. Civilian fatalities from such raids had dramatically increased over the last two years, the report said.
It added: "They are illustrative of a larger pattern of serious laws-of-war violations - some amounting to war crimes - that extends to all provinces in Afghanistan where these paramilitary forces operate with impunity.”
The armed groups allegedly attacked medical staffers for treating militants and summarily executed detainees, the report said.
The CIA, which has been running operations in Afghanistan since 2001, has formed and trained what one diplomat called "death squads" to counter insurgents.
The armed groups were authorised to call in airstrikes without US forces, which reportedly resulted in more attacks on civilian buildings.
The Afghan government has been urged to investigate and disband the paramilitary strike forces and compensate civilians. The authorities have not yet commented on the allegations.
The HRW report marks the culmination of a nearly two-year investigation, documented instances of families terrorised by night raids, summary executions and disappearances of people.
The report cited raids in the Zurmat district of southeastern Paktia province, where Afghan and US strike forces allegedly shot dead four men as the family watched.
In a second house, three shopkeepers and a guest were funned down. In the same district, a religious teacher and two construction workers were killed.
HRW Associate Asia Director Patricia Gossman, who authored the report, blamed the US for failing to investigate the raid incidents by Afghan forces.
The Human Rights Watch demanded an investigation into allegations the US military personnel were with Afghan forces when possible war crimes were committed.
Afghanistan’s National Security Council (NSC) in a statement said: “We have received the recent report of the Human Rights Watch. We have expressed our clear stance on the issues, articulated in the report and adopted measures to address them. We are undertaking further reform initiatives to enable us to deal with these issues.”
“Although the report has reflected some realities, there is some information that requires clarification. We, therefore, are evaluating the report and will provide thorough response in the near future.”
PAN Monitor/mud
