By Meenakshi Ray
The Taliban shot and killed 43 civilians and security force members after the group attacked the Malistan district in Afghanistan's central province of Ghazni earlier this month, residents have said. “Taliban fighters after entering Malistan district committed war crimes and killed civilians who were not involved in the fighting," Mina Naderi, a civil society activist from Ghazni, said at a press conference in Kabul on Sunday, according to Tolo News.
"They attacked people’s homes and after looting their property, they burned residential houses. In the centre of Malistan district, they also destroyed and looted shops,” Naderi read a joint statement from Malistan residents.
The Taliban has rejected the claim by the residents of Malistan.
According to Tolo News, Haji Nadir said his sons Ramazan Ali, 29, and Ishaq Ali, 31, were killed by the Taliban 10 days ago and they were not government employees or members of the country's security forces. Nadir said they were trying to leave Malistan with their families as fighting in the area escalated.
The wives of the men who were killed said the Taliban blindfolded their husbands in front of their children, took them near a mosque in the area and then “opened fire on them.”
“We were on our way when we were stopped by the Taliban. The two were taken (Taliban) and both were killed,” Jamal, Ishaq Ali’s wife, was quoted as saying by Tolo News. “They were taken out and were taken a bit far (from their home) and were martyred,” Ramazan’s wife Zulaikha said
The men have five children, who are now in Kabul, and the eldest of them is seven years old, Tolo News reported.
Those who have been displaced after the fighting in Malistan have also said the Taliban collected food from people and issued an announcement saying that they will treat people, especially women, based on the “Islamic emirate” rules.
Tolo News cited figures saying at least 3,000 people have been displaced from Malistan in the last 10 days following the attack by the Taliban.