Taliban kill civilians in resistance stronghold

This man, a shopkeeper, believed he would be safe from the Taliban, sources said

© APA | This man, a shopkeeper, believed he would be safe from the Taliban, sources said

# 13 September 2021 20:49 (UTC +04:00)

The BBC has found that at least 20 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley, which has seen fighting between the Taliban and opposition forces. Communications have been cut in the valley, making reporting difficult, but the BBC has evidence of Taliban killings despite promises of restraint, APA reports citing BBC.

Footage from a dusty roadside in Panjshir shows a man wearing military gear surrounded by Taliban fighters. Gunfire rings out and he slumps to the ground.

It is not clear if the man killed was an army member - combat uniforms are common in the region. In the video a bystander insisted he was a civilian.

The BBC has established there have been at least 20 such deaths in Panjshir.

One of the victims was a shopkeeper and father-of-two called Abdul Sami.

Local sources said the man would not flee when the Taliban advanced, telling them: "I'm just a poor shop owner and have nothing to do with war."

But he was arrested, accused of selling sim cards to resistance fighters. Days later his body was dumped near his home. Witnesses who saw his body said it showed signs of torture.

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