PAN, April 5, 2009

Mass grave recovered in Kabul

Director for the education department Najibullah Kamran told Pajhwok Afghan News that works on the new building has been halted after the recovery of the grave.

Khwaja Baseer Ahmad

KABUL: A mass grave of civil war era was found in Karta-i-Chahar locality of capital Kabul when a private construction company's workers started digging the base for a new building near the education department's compound, officials said on Sunday.

Director for the education department Najibullah Kamran told Pajhwok Afghan News that works on the new building has been halted after the recovery of the grave.

He said forensic experts have started excavating the mass grave to recover and identify the remains of the corpses believed to have been killed in the civil war 1992-1996.

"We informed the forensic department four days ago and then the security forces cordoned the site, but took no action," he said.

Kabul crimes branch chief, Brig. Gen. Syed Abdul Ghafoor Syedzada, said that an investigation into recognition of the corpses has been launched and the remains of the bodies have been shifted for forensic examination to the concerned department.

Results of the forensic examination would be made public in a press conference, he said and added some of the corpses were buried closed to the education department.

Last year, two similar mass graves were recovered in Chamtala desert of the city and also shifted for recognition and forensic examination, but no result has been declared so far.

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