Extremist group Taliban reportedly killed at least 16 people and kidnapped dozens more after pulling them out of buses plying in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday. Some of the passengers, meanwhile, have been set free, officials said.
The Taliban has not made a statement regarding the same, according to Agence France Presse. The incident took place in Aliabad district of Kunduz province.
"The Taliban shot dead 16 passengers and they are still holding more than 30 others," Sayed Mahmood Danish, spokesman for the governor of Kunduz province, was quoted as saying by AFP.
"They (Taliban) have released some passengers but are holding many others. None of the passengers were wearing military uniform, but some may have been former police," Police commander Shir Aziz Kamawal said. Seventeen people have died, Kamawal added.
The Taliban recently chose Haibatullah Akhundzada as their new commander after the death of Mullah Mansour, who was killed in a drone strike by the U.S.
In another province, Helmand, the group has conducted a series of attacks, reportedly killing 12 policemen and injuring seven. At least seven other policemen are missing after what are being called coordinated attacks in the area, leading to a large-scale military operation in the province, the ministry of internal affairs was quoted as saying by TOLO News on Tuesday.
The volatile situation in Afghanistan has displaced around 1.2 million internally. Poverty and violence have been quoted as the main reason for the doubling of internally displaced persons, according to an Amnesty International report. Another 2.6 million Afghan people live outside the country, the international human rights group said on Tuesday.
