Seven killed as Taliban raid Afghan courthouse

Author: AFP

PULI ALAM: Taliban gunmen stormed a court complex in a city south of Kabul on Sunday, killing at least seven people in the insurgents’ third so-called “revenge” attack for last month’s execution of Taliban-linked prisoners.

The attack in Pul-i-Alam, capital of volatile Logar province, also left 23 prosecutors wounded as they were meeting to decide the fate of six newly arrested Taliban militants.

The head of the court Mohammad Akram Nejat was among those killed in the attack, which comes as the Taliban step up their annual spring offensive after naming a new leader late last month. “Three gunmen wearing police uniform entered the court building and started shooting people,” the provincial governor Mohammad Halim Fedayee told AFP. “Unfortunately seven people were killed, including Mohammad Akram Nejat, the newly appointed head of the court.” Hasib Stanakzai, a member of Logar’s provincial council, confirmed the death toll.

The Taliban said the attack was in retaliation for the execution of six Taliban-linked inmates in early May, part of President Ashraf Ghani’s new hardline policy against the insurgents.

“The martyrdom attack was carried out in revenge for the execution of our mujahideen,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) was quick to condemn the attack.

The head of the mission, Nicholas Haysom urged Afghan authorities “to do everything in their power to ensure adequate protection of judicial officials and other civilians seeking access to judicial institutions”.

“Judicial officials and other civilians can never be considered combatants and thus should not be targeted,” he said in a statement.

Share
Leave a Comment

Recent Posts

  • Pakistan

Punjab starts implementing plan to combat smog

The Punjab government has initiated implementation of a comprehensive strategy to combat environmental pollution and…

1 hour ago
  • Pakistan

Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar: CM Maryam approves 3-marla plot scheme

Punjab Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved a scheme to provide three-marla plots…

1 hour ago
  • Pakistan

Seven outlaws arrested, weapons recovered

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police on Saturday apprehended seven criminals involved in various illegal…

1 hour ago
  • Pakistan

DC inaugurates 7th agricultural population census

Deputy Commissioner Larkana Dr. Sharjeel Noor Channa has inaugurated the 7th Agricultural Population Census. The…

1 hour ago
  • Pakistan

PTI arming ‘youth force activists and Afghan nationals,’ says Azma

Punjab's Information Minister Azma Bokhari has accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of arming activists and…

1 hour ago
  • Pakistan

Danyal says PTI’s political decline exposed before people

Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting, Barrister Daniyal Chaudhry, blasted PTI's political decline, saying Bushra…

1 hour ago