Rights group: Taliban unlawfully killed 13 ethnic Hazaras

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CAIRO – Taliban forces unlawfully killed 13 taste Hazaras, astir of them Afghan soldiers who had surrendered to the insurgents, a salient rights radical said Tuesday.

The killings took spot successful the colony of Kahor successful Daykundi state successful cardinal Afghanistan connected Aug. 30, according to an probe by Amnesty International. Eleven of the victims were members of the Afghan nationalist information forces and 2 were civilians, among them a 17-year-old girl.

The reported killings took spot astir 2 weeks aft the Taliban took power of Afghanistan successful a blitz campaign, culminating successful their takeover of Kabul. At the time, Taliban leaders sought to reassure Afghans that they had changed from their erstwhile harsh regularisation of the state successful the precocious 1990s.

Meanwhile successful Kabul, the Taliban said Tuesday they arrested 11 members of the Islamic State group, a rival and bitter force of the insurgents. The Islamic State group's affiliate — based successful eastbound Nangarhar state — has claimed work for a spate of caller attacks targeting Taliban forces successful eastbound Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karimi posted connected Twitter that the raid was carried retired connected Sunday nighttime successful the Afghan capital's Fifth Police District. He provided nary further details. The raid came conscionable hours aft a bombing that targeted the Eid Gah Mosque successful Kabul, sidesplitting astatine slightest 5 people.

IS claimed work for the mosque onslaught precocious connected Monday, saying successful a posting connected its media arm, the Aamaq quality agency, that 1 of their termination bombers targeted elder Taliban figures pursuing a mourning service.

Sunday’s bombing was the deadliest onslaught successful Kabul since the Taliban took power of Afghanistan with the chaotic departure of the past U.S. troops connected Aug. 31. IS had besides claimed work for the horrific bombing connected Aug. 26 that killed much than 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. subject unit extracurricular the Kabul airport, wherever thousands of radical were trying to scope the airdrome to flight Taliban rule.

The satellite has been watching whether the Taliban would unrecorded up to their archetypal promises of tolerance and inclusiveness toward women and taste minorities, among them the Shiite Hazaras. However, Taliban actions truthful far, specified arsenic renewed restrictions connected women and the assignment of an all-male government, person been met with dismay by the planetary community.

Hazaras marque up astir 9% of Afghanistan’s 36 cardinal people. They are often targeted due to the fact that they are Shiite Muslims successful a Sunni-majority country.

Amnesty's caput general, Agnes Callamard, said that “these cold-blooded executions (of the Hazaras) are further impervious that the Taliban are committing the aforesaid horrific abuses they were notorious for during their erstwhile regularisation of Afghanistan."

Taliban spokespersons Zabihullah Mujahid and Karimi did not respond to calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.

The rights radical said Sadiqullah Abed, the Taliban-appointed main of constabulary for Daykundi, denied immoderate killings had happened and lone said that a subordinate of the Taliban had been wounded successful an onslaught successful the province.

The Taliban took power of Daykundi state connected Aug. 14, according to the Amnesty report, and an estimated 34 erstwhile soldiers sought information successful Khidir district. The soldiers, who had authorities subject instrumentality and weaponry with them, agreed to surrender to the Taliban.

Mohammad Azim Sedaqat, who led the group’s surrender, arranged to decommission the weapons successful the beingness of Taliban members.

On Aug. 30, an estimated 300 Taliban fighters arrived successful a convoy adjacent to Dahani Qul village, wherever the information forces members were staying, immoderate with household members, according to Amnesty’s report. As the information forces attempted to permission the country with their families, Taliban fighters caught up with them and opened occurrence connected the crowd, sidesplitting a 17-year-old miss named Masuma. One worker fired back, sidesplitting a Taliban combatant and wounding another.

The Taliban continued to sprout arsenic the families fled, sidesplitting 2 soldiers, according to the report. After 9 information forces surrendered, the Taliban took them to a adjacent stream basin and killed them, according to the rights group.

Amnesty said it verified photographs and video grounds taken successful the aftermath of the killings.

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Bryan reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Rahim Faiez successful Istanbul and Maamoun Youssef successful Cairo contributed to this report.

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