Pajhwok Afghan News, August 1, 2007

Taliban execute four abducted judges

The decision was taken after the slain confessed they were working in a US-supported organisation

Sher Ahmad Haidar/Ibrahimi

GHAZNI CITY: Taliban have executed the four judges they had kidnapped from Andar district of Ghazni last week.

On July 31 body of the second Korean hostage killed by Taliban was found by Afghan police in Ghazni.

Their bodies were retrieved by police in the district this morning, officials told Pajhwok Afghan News on Wednesday. The slain also included a senior official of the Paktika courts.

Mullah Tariq, calling himself spokesman for Taliban in Maidan Wardak and Ghazni provinces, said the judges were hanged to death last night. The decision was taken after the slain confessed they were working in a US-supported organisation, said the self-proclaimed spokesman.

Ghazni security chief Col. Muhammad Zaman and chief of Andar district Abdul Rahim Desiwal confirmed they had found four bodies around 6am this morning.

They said the bodies were dumped in Ibrahimzai area, located between Andar and Deh Yak districts of the province. The officials said it was not known if the slain were the kidnapped judges from Paktika province.

However, Paktika Governor Dr. Akram Khpalwak confirmed the killing of the four judges. He said their bodies had been shifted to the Ghazni Civil Hospital.

Earlier, the militants had kidnapped an officer of the education department of Paktika province. He was set free two days back.

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