KABUL (Pajhwok): People and military affairs experts criticized surged in target killing recently in the country and said people offered sacrifices at the cost of incompetence, negligence of security institutions and unfair appointments.
Target killing continued in Afghanistan are being targeted.
Recently, unidentified gunmen targeted worshipers inside mosques in Parwan, Khost, Laghman and Kabul provinces, but no arrest has been made in connection to these incidents so far.
In addition, a number of Imams (prayer leaders) and other religious scholars targeted by unknown gunmen in some provinces.
In a recent incident of target killing, two police officers were targeted by unidentified armed men in limits of 12th police district of Kabul three days back—with one of them killed and a second wounded.
Earlier, Acting Interior Minister Massoud Andarabi warned of firing police chiefs for Kabul districts where motorcyclists stage attacks.
People worried at increased targeted killing
Tawfiq Azimi, education faculty lecturer in Al-Baroni university of Kapisa, told Pajhwok Afghan News that in recent months six individuals, including two imams, killed by unknown gunmen but the perpetrators yet to be arrested.
He said: “These assassination worried residents of Kapisa province and no body come out of home.”
Zalmay, another resident of the province, said unidentified gunmen attacked worshipers in the provinces and after that people stopped attending prayers in the mosques.
Residents of Kabul and other provinces held similar views and expressed deep concerns.
Experts Opinion
Gen. Atiqullah Amerkhel, military affairs analyst, said the government failed to prevent targeted killings. He said 600 tribal elders, killed in Kandahar, as well as in north and other parts of the country in recent years.
Gen. Amerkhel said the main goal of targeted killers was to eliminate influential figures of the society and on the other hand they tried to discourage from cooperating with the government to prove it as a weak body.
Criticizing power-sharing deal between government leaders, he said: “The power sharing agreement caused to have weak administration and the leaders do not care of people but personal interests.”
Concerns, demands of AIHRC
The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) expressed deep concern over the targeted killings of civilians, government workers, elders and religious scholars and demanded an end to the illicit practice.
Zabihullah Farhang, deputy director of AIHRC, said At least 73 civilians, including eight women and eight children assassinated, and 119 others, including 15 women and 16 children wounded as result of targeted killings from February to March 14.
He blamed 50 percent Taliban behind these incidents, Daesh and unidentified gunmen had been involved in the rest 50 percent.
Farhang said 35 civilians captured by Taliban and the AIHRC had no information about their fate. He slammed the targeted killings and called for the end of this illegal practice.
Ministry of Interior (MoI)
Tariq Arian, spokesman for the MoI, acknowledged surge in targeted killings and told Pajhwok that at least 169 criminal cases happened in Kabul and 136 individuals arrested in connection to some of these crimes and referred to the Attorney General Office for investigation.
He said in the past three months 3,000 criminal cases happened across the country – where 3,500 suspected criminals arrested.
Arian talked about decline in criminal cases compared to the past three months, saying 1,337 cases registered and a small number of suspected criminal arrested.
Pointing to Taliban’s attacks, he said that Taliban had killed 523 civilians and 1,144 others wounded in the week after the violence reduction week.
“The citizens should be assured as we are committed to decrease crimes and do public order,” he explained.
But he did not respond that police involved with criminals and some questions of Pajhwok.
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