The Taliban security forces have arrested two suspects in Mazar-e-Sharif, capital city of the northern Balkh province, in connection to the murder of four women whose dead bodies were found last Thursday, November 04, inside a residence.
In a video clip released today, November 06, Saeed Khosti, spokesman for the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior, detailed that the suspects were arrested in Faqirabad neighborhood, PD6 of Mazar-e-Sharif. According to him, the suspects have already admitted that they have murdered the “four women” after luring them to the murder site.
There are contradictory accounts regarding the murder incident even from Taliban officials.
Abdullah Haqmal, the Taliban police chief for PD6 of Mazar-e-Sharif, told Kabul Now that two women and two men have been killed in the incident.
Describing the cause behind it as family disputes, the local official added that the incident took place last Thursday, November 04. Two people have been arrested in connection to the incident, he added.
The deadly incident was firstly filmed and reported on social media. Taking footage of the murder site, the videographer claims that the victims are two men and two women, including a former military personnel, who were all killed by the Taliban overnight inside the house belonging to the murdered female military personnel.
The Taliban, however, has denied any involvement in the incident.
Meanwhile, a civil society activist in Mazar-e-Sharif, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that in addition to this murder case, the Taliban affiliated forces have murdered four other female civil activists over past few days. The activist added that Frozan Safi, a university lecturer and civil society activist, is also among the victims.
According to the activist, the female civil activists had been called to leave for Mazar-e-Sharif airport in order to be evacuated from Afghanistan. Days later they found dead, the activist detailed.
Identity of the three other victims are still unknown.
However, the Taliban even denied the occurrence of this incident in the province.
Furthermore, the human right activist, accused Taliban of systematic murders and imprisonment. He said, “chain murders are more than what is reflected on media. Many people, fearing reprisals, hide the murder and arrest of their family members.”
The civil activist further claimed that more than 80 individuals are held captives in the Taliban’s prisons on accusation of organization protests against the Taliban.
The northern Balkh province witnessed women protests after the country fell to the Taliban on August 15.
The protests were effectively suppressed after the Taliban resorted to violence, beating protesters and the journalists covering the protests.
