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Taliban kidnap scores of passengers from Helmand province
 [Khaama (Afghanistan)] The Talibs have kidnapped scores of passengers from the restive in Helmand...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... in southern Afghanistan. The incident took place in Greshk district earlier today after the Talibs stopped a number of vehicles including a bus carrying passengers. The passengers have been taken to an unknown location and the exact number of hostages yet to be confirmed. The Talibs group has not commented regarding the report so far. The Talibs have stepped up hostage takings across the country during the recent weeks as the group claim they abduct security personnel and government officials traveling in the highways. Numerous kidnapping incidents have taken place in northern Afghanistan following a major kidnapping incident that took place late last month in northern Kunduz province. At least 185 passengers were kidnapped as they were traveling on the main highway in Kunduz last month but majority of them were released after they were interrogated. The Talibs killed at least 17 of the kidnapped passengers after they were accused of working for the government.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The Talibs group in Afghanistan has claimed that snatching passengers from the highways is not an act of kidnapping. The Taliban group front man Zabiullah Mujahid issued a statement following the kidnapping of scores of passengers in Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... province. In his statement, Mujahid said the Taliban fighters took passengers from at least 3 buses with them amid suspicions they work for the security institutions of the country. Mujahid further added that 27 people were taken by the Talibs and the remaining holy warriors were released after they went through a preliminary interrogation process. He said the remaining 27 people would be released if found not guilty or would be handed over to the judiciary of the Taliban group if they had role in working with the security institutions. Posted by: Fred 2016-06-22 |
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