Pul-i-Khumri police officer defects to Taliban

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): The deputy chief of the first police district of Pul-i-Khumri, the capital of northern Baghlan province, has defected to the Taliban along with two friends and weapons.

In a video released by the Taliban, Amin Akakhel, deputy head of the first security district, is seen with his comrades among several Taliban militants.

In the video, Akakhel said has long been in contact with Taliban and has now joined them.

He said he joined the rebels after a clash with Musa, a former commander of the police district, in which he was killed.

Ahmad Javed Basharat, a spokesman for the Baghlan police chief, also confirmed that Amin Akakhel had joined the Taliban, but declined to comment on the reason.

He told Pajhwok that Akakhel had joined the Taliban empty-handed and had not taken anything.

Last Friday a clash took place between police of the first security district and Musa Tahiri, a former police officer, on government land in which Musa Tahiri was killed and his killing was blamed on Amin by Tahiri’s relatives.

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