by Zachary Lucas

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

KABUL, Afghanistan — In the northeastern province of Kunduz in Afghanistan, armed Taliban gunmen stopped two buses on their way to the provincial capital of Kunduz. At least ten people were killed in the incident and nearly 200 people were kidnapped.

The incident occurred in the early morning when two buses were traveling to the city of Kunduz on the highway in the Ali Abad district. The Taliban had set up a roadblock and seized the passengers on the bus. About 10 people were killed immediately and 185 of the passengers were kidnapped. The people kidnapped included women, children, and seniors.

The people kidnapped were taken to a village called Omarkhil in the province of Chardara where they were being held in a church. An unknown number of abductees were killed after arriving in the village. Residents reported that the Taliban was questioning them to see if they had connections to the government. Around 160 of the people kidnapped were rescued by Afghan forces although some reports suggest that the Taliban released them. Some 20 people still remain hostage.

The identity of the victims have not been identified nor is it known why these passengers were the target of this kidnapping. It is thought that the victims might be Shi’ite Hazaras. The Taliban discriminated against this group when they controlled the government in the 1990s and discrimination against them has increased in the last year. The hard-line Sunni Taliban consider the Hazaras to be heretics.

The Taliban have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks. One week ago they claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Kabul that killed ten people and injured four others. They have also kidnapped numerous people in similar highway abduction incidents of both locals and foreigners. In early May, the United States warned American travelers in Afghanistan to be vigilant following an attempted abduction of an American citizen.

Following the death of Afghan Taliban leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in a drone strike, Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada was announced as the new leader. The new leader vowed to continue the militant policies of the founder of the Taliban that was killed in a drone strike in 2011. Akhundzada stated that there would be no peace talks with the current Afghan government.

For more information, please see:

ABC News — Taliban Kidnap Afghan Bus Passengers Killing at Least 16: Provincial Official — 31 May 2016

BBC — Afghan Conflict: Taliban Kidnap Bus Passengers and Kill 10 — 31 May 2016

CNN — Afghan Police: Taliban Kidnap 200 Travelers, Keep 20 Hostage — 2 June 2016

Reuters — Afghan Taliban Kill Nine, Kidnap 20 Bus Passengers, Army Rescues 140 Others — 31 May 2016