Afghanistan Times
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By AT Correspondent -KABUL: Alleged Daesh fighters massacred 33 civilians on Tuesday night after taking them hostage in western Ghor province, officials confirmed.
“Daesh fighters have killed over 33 civilian hostages last night in northern parts of Ferozkoh city of Ghor,” Abdul Hai Khatibi, provincial spokesman told Afghanistan Times.
The civilians were taken hostage late Tuesday while collecting firewood in deserts in northern areas of the city and were taken to a nearby insecure area, which have been under Taliban control where, Daesh terrorists have recently emerged, Khatibi said.
The massacre was carried out after security forces launched operation to free the civilians, in which the group’s commander Farouq was killed along with his three colleagues. “Daesh fighters killed the hostages in retaliation of their commander’s death,” the spokesman said.
Another provincial official who requested anonymity, said three local uprisers were also among the killed hostages.
Daesh group which has been active in Afghanistan since 2015 is mostly controlling some remote areas in eastern areas where they suffered heavy casualties in operation of the Afghan forces and US airstrikes in the past one year. But this is first time they appear to commit a massacre and show their presence in northern Afghanistan.
The United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned the killings, calling it as serious violation of international humanitarian law.
“I am outraged by these senseless and brutal killings,” said Pernille Kardel, deputy secretary general’s special representative for Afghanistan and acting head of UNAMA. “This is an atrocity and perpetrators should be accountable.”
