TALOQAN (Pajhwok):  Taliban militants kidnapped, tortured and beheaded an influential tribal elder in northern Takhar province, police said on Saturday.

The elder, Mullah Mansoor, was kidnapped from Chak Ab Qarah Tash village in the fourth police district of Taloqan, the provincial capital, on Friday evening by Taliban gunmen, said police spokesman Col. Khalil Aseer.

He said Mansoor had been severely tortured in captivity before being killed. His headless body was found on Saturday morning and handed over to his family, the police official said.

He said no one had been arrested so far in connection with the murder, but police were investigating the incident.

Civil society activist Jamshid said targeted attacks had recently increased in the province. “Mullah Mansoor was an influential figure who was killed yesterday. It is not known who killed him.”

The Taliban have so far said nothing in this regard.

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