Alipoor’s gunmen capture Markazi Behsood district

KABUL (Pajhwok): Illegal armed group commander Abdul Ghani Alipoor’s militia has captured the administrative building of Markazi Behsood district in central Maidan Wardak province and government forces have retreated from the district.

Some sources said Alipoor’s gunmen burned down the district building, but some other sources denied the claim.

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) said Alipoor’s gunmen attacked security forces and civilians in the district center on Tuesday evening, wounding some security personnel and five locals.

Nine illegal gunmen were killed and seven others were wounded in the attack on the district authority, said the MoI, adding that police had arrested 68 illegal armed men as well in connection with the attack.

But local residents claimed civilians suffered casualties in government forces’ raids and that security forces had arrested 150 residents.

They warned if the matter was not addressed, then security forces would have to face serious reaction from local residents.

The local residents said illegal armed men of Alipoor on Tuesday evening attacked the Behsood district center and captured it.

SharifullahHotak, a member of the MaidanWardak provincial council, on Tuesday wrote on his Facebook page that illegal armed men of Alipoor attacked the Behsood district headquarters and captured the building.

He said a high level investigative team of the government has reached the area to investigate the incident.

“Members of the delegation were supposed to meet Alipoor’s side on Wednesday but Alipoor and his men did not show up and instead attacked the district once again the same day,” he added.

A source, who declined to be named, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Alipoor’s gunmen burned down the district building and office of the National Directorate of Security (NDS).

Another source said government employees were evacuated before Alipoor’s gunmen burned down the district administration building.

But Sajed Ali, a resident of Behsood district, said security forces left the area at round 8pm last night but Alipoor’s gunmen never came near the district building. He said Alipoor and his men had always been supporters of the government.

He accused the police chief for the incident and said grenades and weapons had been attached to clothes of the bodies.

Pajhwok shared the issue with the governor’s spokesmen and the MoI, but they did not respond.

Hr/ma