RASC News Agency: Local sources in Samangan province have verified that an individual within the province has been subjected to harassment and persecution by the Taliban, who accused him of engaging in gambling and subsequently shot him, resulting in severe injuries. Media reports on Thursday, December 21, revealed the targeted individual as “Shamsuddin Bekzad,” a former government official currently overseeing criminal administration within the Taliban’s command in Samangan province. The sources indicate that Bekzad sustained severe injuries two nights ago in the village of “Khawaja Ismail” in Aybak, the central hub of Samangan province, when Taliban members opened fire on him.
Accounts suggest that the Taliban in Samangan aimed to assassinate Shamsuddin Bekzad, but due to the impact of their members’ shots, two bullets struck his “abdomen,” and one hit his “hand,” causing significant harm. Reportedly, the Taliban group has accused Shamsuddin Bekzad of “abusing official powers, harassing and persecuting people, and engaging in gambling.” In contrast, Bekzad’s associates contend that the Taliban seeks to concoct justifications and intends to eliminate him based on his past involvement in the previous government.
Amidst the unfolding events, it is crucial to emphasize that the actions undertaken by the Taliban are anything but unprecedented. This group has, on numerous past occasions, initiated a multitude of retaliatory measures against former government military personnel, frequently resorting to vindictive behaviors and, in several instances, orchestrating killings under various pretexts.
Simultaneously, the Taliban, driven by their inclination toward violence and vengeance directed at both former government military personnel and Afghanistani civilians, remains unaccountable to any governing authority. Their reprehensible actions, marked by brutality and retribution, persist without consequence, giving rise to concerns regarding the absence of a framework to hold them responsible for their deeds.
