Presidential Palace Vows ‘Revenge’ After Ghor Massacre

ARG, “Presidential Palace” has vowed to take “revenge” against those responsible for a massacre in Ghor province and stressed that Afghanistan will never be a safe haven for terrorists.

“President Ghani has condemned this brutal crime and offered his condolences to the families of martyrs. He has vowed to take revenge for every blood of them,” said Dawa Khan Mina Pal, President’s deputy spokesman.

Amnesty International described the killings as a “horrendous crime” and called for an immediate investigation by the government.

The killings underline the lack of security across Afghanistan, which has seen not only the Taliban insurgency and Isis violence, but by a wider breakdown in law and order as government control has weakened.

At least 30 civilians were shot and killed in central Afghanistan’s Ghor province late on Tuesday (25 October) after they were reportedly abducted by militants belonging to Islamic State (Isis).

The victims, mostly farmers, were kidnapped when they were collecting firewood in the mountains. Earlier, an IS (Daesh) commander was killed and it is believed that to avenge his death, the militants killed the civilians, according to BBC.

The killings followed a militant attack on Tuesday near Feroz Koh, the capital of the central western province. Up until now most Islamic State activity has taken place in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

In a Twitter message posted by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban, which is bitterly opposed to Islamic State, said it was not responsible for the civilian deaths in Ghor.