As many as six civilians including a journalist were killed when a protest turned violent in Ferozkoh, capital city of the central Ghor province. 19 others were wounded.
According to eyewitnesses, Afghan security forces opened fire at angry crowd of people who were protesting against what they call unfair distribution of government aid packages.
The Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs (MoIA) has confirmed that six people including a journalist have been killed in Ghor. Some “irresponsible armed individuals” who were present among crowed of peaceful protesters fired at government institutions, causing a panic among Afghan security forces which resulted to killing of six civilians, officials at the MoIA say.
The MoD has said that a fact-finding committee would be sent to Ghor and investigate this case.
Talking to Kabul Now, spokesperson for Ghor governor, Arif Aber, confirmed that over a hundred protester, who wanted to break into the complex of governor office building, were stopped by force of police forces. He said police forces have fired in air to disperse the mob.
According to Abdul Rahman Atshan, a councilman in Ghor, the local administration had listed names of some people who were waiting to receive aid package, and had vowed to supply aid packages for them.
The mountainous Ghor is an underdeveloped province in the center of Afghanistan. The province was under a lockdown for a month but last week locals in Ferozkoh broke it.
The poor population of the country cannot afford to stay at home despite government insistence and pressure.
Addressing the nation in a video message, on April 29, President Ghani vowed that the government would undertake a nationwide initiative to distribute bread for people who are in need.
The initiative, however, has yet to be kicked off in Ghor province with the local authorities saying that they have listed those in need and will start bread distribution soon.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, 31 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the central province.
