KABUL — Angry villagers stoned to death a local Taliban commander and his bodyguard in southern Afghanistan on Sunday after the two men killed a 60-year-old man accused of aiding the government, Afghan officials said.
It was a rare reversal of brutality aimed at the Taliban, and, some Afghan officials believe, suggests a growing sense of security in an area where the insurgency has lost ground to NATO forces in the past two years.
The stoning happened in the Nawa District of Helmand province, a verdant agricultural area along the Helmand River Valley, now considered one of the safest places in the volatile south as a result of a heavy influx of U.S. troops and aid dollars.
“People won’t tolerate the Taliban’s barbaric actions anymore,” said Dawoud Ahmadi, a spokesman for the governor of Helmand province.
The stoning occurred a day after insurgents in the northeastern province of Kunar stoned, hanged and shot two Afghan National Army soldiers returning from leave, Afghan officials said. The attacks were unrelated and happened far away from each other, but they underscored the grisly nature of the insurgency even as NATO officials say overall violence in the country is beginning to show a sustained downward trend for the first time in five years.
The Helmand episode began Sunday evening when two armed insurgents roared up on a motorcycle to a mosque in the village of Trekh Zaber, where Yaar Muhammad, a local farmer, and his two sons were waiting to celebrate Iftar, the evening breaking of the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The men ordered Muhammad to come to them, and as he did, they fired their weapons, killing him instantly, said Haji-Hayatullah, a district council member. As Muhammad fell, his sons jumped the two gunmen and pulled them off their motorcycle. Other villagers joined in, officials said, beating the men to death with stones.
Officials said Muhammad had received threats but, apart from being friends with a former provincial governor, had no official government role.
Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, denied that Taliban were involved. “This must be a personal issue among the villagers themselves,” he said by phone from an undisclosed location.
Re: Afghan Villagers Stone Taliban Commander to Death
^ interesting that you can see the "brutalities" of taliban which in my opinion is a freedom struggle against foreign invasion (USA)....... oh sorry I forgot that the US army comprises of angels who have showered hundreds of thousands of people across the globe with kindness.
Re: Afghan Villagers Stone Taliban Commander to Death
Freedom fighters killing their own people? Did you not read the story about the two Taliban on motorcycle who killed an elderly Afghan waiting to break his fast with his sons? Taliban have killed more innocent Afghan civilians then they have NATO soldiers. How does anyone become a freedom fighter by killing innocent men, women, children and elderly Afghans? Have you not seen the brutality of your freedom fighters? If you have not, witness their latest video. You can find it on the web at: Video of Taliban killing a local police commander by 82 mm rocket. These are not freedom fighters; they kidnapped an Afghan Police commander, without human decency tied him up helplessly and then blow him up by 82 MM Rocket! You call this being human?
Taliban are terrorists, not freedom fighters, whose only interest is in killing their own people. They have been indiscriminately killing innocents long before our forces entered Afghanistan and they continue to do so. This, forum readers, is why we see Afghans taking extreme steps against their brutality. Unless the region is cleansed of this Taliban menace we will see no peace, no prosperity, and no end to the killings. With the resonance of the peace loving people of Afghanistan and the growing strength of the ANA the Taliban will be banished and peace will return.
CDR Bill Speaks
DET- United States Central Command deleted
you represent the murderous regime called the American government who terrorise the world with nuclear bombs and shock and awe you have also given the muslim world great gifts recntly like guantanmo bay and bagram air base where muslims are tortured and abused and i won’t even begin to mention the numerous black jails around the world where torture is being done for your regime.
as for the following adventures you was kinda quite i wonder why?
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s key findings
• Since 2004 a minimum of 291 drone strikes have been launched by the US - almost 10 per cent more attacks than previously understood.
• A minimum of 2,292 people have been killed in the attacks - 40 per cent more than generally reported. The number may be as high as 2,863.
• The bureau has identified 126 named militants killed.
• At least 385 civilians have been killed, with a possible upper figure of 775.
• Some 168 children have reportedly been killed in the drone strikes - 56 of them during President Obama’s first 20 months in office.
So american murders by drones you don’t consider that as terror because you are a hypocrite and get paid a monthly pay check to post american propaganda.
Re: Afghan Villagers Stone Taliban Commander to Death
Well said sir. We pray that more such terrorists are eliminated from the earth, be it at the hands of Afghan villagers, Pakistan army or American drones.
Pay no attention to the mindless hypocrites trying to confuse facts and reality with their own self deluded propaganda.
Re: Afghan Villagers Stone Taliban Commander to Death
Well said sir. We pray that more such terrorists are eliminated from the earth, be it at the hands of Afghan villagers, Pakistan army or American drones.
Pay no attention to the mindless hypocrites trying to confuse facts and reality with their own self deluded propaganda.
Lolz..... come on man, you are probably sitting in CENTCOM, why do you have to communicate through GS? just pick up the damn intercom and convey your message to your superior officer.
Yeah american govt comprises of angels, please try telling that to the hundreds of thousands of people you have butchered in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan.
Re: Afghan Villagers Stone Taliban Commander to Death
I know America is not an Angelic nation. It looks out for its own interests as we all do. In this case, our interests overlap. Hence we should support the US in wiping out the taliban fitna.
And again, while I never supported the Iraq war, who is doing the butchering who in Afghanistan?
You must have been living under a rock for the past 15 years to have missed the crimes of the taliban.
Re: Afghan Villagers Stone Taliban Commander to Death
oh my god that is nasty you support american army no wonder you giving two faced answer in other post.
you have no idea what the americans have been doing even in my province they butcher muslims and pretend muslims did it, people not stupid to what going on with the games the americans play but obviously they are stupid where you come from!
Re: Afghan Villagers Stone Taliban Commander to Death
oh my god that is nasty you support american army no wonder you giving two faced answer in other post.
you have no idea what the americans have been doing even in my province they butcher muslims and pretend muslims did it, people not stupid to what going on with the games the americans play but obviously they are stupid where you come from!
LOL... Nasty?
Anyways. You need to provide proof. Just because you call yourself a Muslim, and the Taliban dogs call themselves Muslims, doesnt mean you must support them. Allah SWT tells us not to support criminals, regardless of whther they are Muslims or not.
you think all Muslims are angels? Obviously the province you are from is full of stupid people who have no idea what is going on and are to blind to see the real criminals for who they are. I feel sad for you and feel even sader for your country if people like you are the ones shaping its future.
Re: Afghan Villagers Stone Taliban Commander to Death
Lolz..... come on man, you are probably sitting in CENTCOM, why do you have to communicate through GS? just pick up the damn intercom and convey your message to your superior officer.
I know America is not an Angelic nation. It looks out for its own interests as we all do. In this case, our interests overlap. Hence we should support the US in wiping out the taliban fitna.