KABUL (Tolo News): The Ministry of Interior Affairs (MoI) says that at least nine people were killed after their protest turned violent and ended up in a clash between security forces and armed men loyal to Alipoor, a local commander, in the Behsud district of Maidan Wardak province.
The ministry said a team has been assigned to investigate the incident. According to the ministry, the clashes erupted after a group of people, among them “irresponsible armed men” loyal to commander Alipoor, resisted the appointment of new police commanders in the district by holding a protest outside the police headquarters.
The ministry said that seven members of Alippoor’s men and some civilians and security force members were wounded in the clashes that started. Abdul Ghani known as commander Alipoor is a local commander in Behsud district in Maidan Wardak. He has many times supported public uprising forces’ campaign against the Taliban in Daikundi, Ghor, Ghazni and Maidan Wardak province.
In 2018, he was in security forces custody and when he was released, he signed a commitment letter with the government in November 2018 and committed to being ready to respond to allegations against him and added that he “will register all weapons” with the government or hand them in. Meanwhile, Mahdi Rashikh, an MP from Maidan Wardak who introduces himself as deputy of commander Alipoor, at a press conference in Kabul on Saturday said that the clashes between special forces and the armed men are underway in Behsud.
Rasikh claimed that Alipoor’s men are not involved in the clashes but said that they will also engage in fighting if the government continues its operation. Former president Hamid Karzai in a statement said he is concerned about the incident in Behsud district and that he calls for calm. Karzai called on the government to address the issue through settlement and in coordination with locals.
Meanwhile, scores of Taliban insurgents have been killed in a military operation in southern Kandahar province, claims the Ministry of Defence (MoD). A statement from the ministry said the security forces conducted clearing operation in Dand and Arghandab districts of the province.
Sixty militants were killed and 22 others wounded in clashes between the two sides, the ministry said. It added the operation focused on the Zala Khan area of Dand and Kohak, Nagahan, Jilahor, and Hadira areas of Arghandab. The statement said 63 IEDs, placed by the Taliban on roads, were defused and four vehicles of the rebels were destroyed during the operation.
