Influential figures among 9 killed in Faryab

MAIMANA (Pajhwok): A police commander and three influential individuals were among nine people killed in attacks by armed insurgents in northwestern Faryab province, an official said on Monday.

The police commander was killed along with four colleagues when militants stormed their post in Qazaq area of Garziwan district around 2am on Sunday night, the district chief, Abdul Razaq Kakar, said.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News three influential individuals, Haji Abdul Rahim, the slain police commander’s father Haji Atta Mohammad and his father-in-law, Abdul Salam, were killed by militants during a separate attack on Monday morning.

He said the Taliban were now in control of the post and that an insider might be involved in the conspiracy.

“We suspect a wounded policeman who tried to escape has links with the militants,” Kakar said, adding the Taliban seized a rocket launcher, a machinegun and four Kalashnikovs from the slain policemen.

A police official, who wished not to be named, said the slain police commander, Abdul Salam, was a former jihadi.

Elsewhere, an influential individual was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Daulatabad district of the province.

The district chief, Syed Abdul Salam Nazhat, said Mohammad Saleh was a former jihadi commander and was killed after he mediated the release of seven local residents the Taliban had kidnapped for supporting the government.

The seven were kidnapped on the Daulatabad-Andkhoi highway on Sunday and five of them were released later.

According to Nazhad, one of the two captives was an Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier and the second a civilian hailing from Ghormach district.

mds/ma

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