Punish Sangin attack perpetrators, Senate tells govt

KABUL or Senate on Tuesday said it would investigate the mortar shelling on a cattle market in Sangin district of southern Helmand province, urging severe punishment to the perpetrators.

At least 23 civilians were killed and another 15 wounded after mortars hit a cattle market in Sangin district of Helmand province on Monday.

Some eyewitnesses told Pajhwok 23 civilians were killed and another 15 wounded in the incident. They said some animals were also lost in the attack.

Saifullah, a resident of the area, told Pajhwok that three mortar shells landed at a corner of the cattle fair and two of them exploded.

But some others residents accused security forces for the incident but security forces rejected the allegations in this regard.

Gulalai Noor Safi, a senator from northern Balkh province, expressed her deep concern over the incident and urged the identification of the perpetrators and giving them hard punishment.

Lotfullah Baba, another lawmaker from eastern Nangarhar province, held similar views and added as no one had claimed responsibility for the attack, the Afghan government should take measures for identification of the perpetrators.

Sayd Safiullah Hashimi, another senate, said: “It was not first incident but hundreds people lost their lives to such incidents across the country.” He urged the senate to investigate the issue seriously.

Senate chairman Fazal Hadi Muslimyar, strongly condemned the attack on the cattle market in Helmand, saying first it should be recognized who committed the crime and then the house would make a decision.

He urged the defense commission of the Meshrano Jirga to investigate the incident in coordination with security personnel and provide their report to the house.

pk/ma

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