A senior Afghan Shi'ite community leader says Islamic State (IS) militants are responsible for kidnapping dozens of Shi'ite men and boys earlier this year.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Mohaqiq told RFE/RL correspondent Freshta Shikhany on April 4 that two former Taliban leaders, Mullah Mansur Dadullah and Mullah Abdullah Kaka, were behind the abduction.
βIn some places, the white flag of the Taliban has been changed for the black [IS] flag,β Mohaqiq added.
In the mass abduction, masked gunmen seized about 30 passengers from two buses in the southern province of Zabul on February 24 as they were traveling in two buses toward the capital, Kabul, on Afghanistan's main ring-road highway.
According to local officials, gunmen rounded up male Hazara passengers and whisked them away, while women, children, and non-Harazas were left behind.
Afghan Shi'ite Community Leader Says IS Militants Involved In Kidnappings
Related
Editors' Picks
Afghanistan/Pakistan Trending
1
Four Years On, UN Says Taliban Close To 'Erasing' Afghan Women From Public Life
2Afghan Women, Girls 'Bear Brunt' Of Earthquake Amid Taliban Restrictions
3Kabul's Quiet Resistance: Young Afghans Navigate Life Under The Taliban
4China Dangles Belt And Road Investment To Mend Taliban-Pakistan Ties
5Afghan Woman Who Lost All Male Relatives In Earthquake Faces New Barriers
6World Food Program Warns Of 'Unprecedented' Hunger Crisis In Afghanistan
7Russia Boosts The Taliban's Quest For Legitimacy. Who Will Be Next?
8Taliban Rulers Seek Outside Help As Workers Race To Aid Earthquake Victims
9Commandos Airdropped Into Remote Afghan Region In Race To Rescue Earthquake Survivors
10Afghan Man Loses 10 Family Members In Devastating Earthquake
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.