RASC News Agency: Sources from Khas Uruzgan report that the Taliban have arrested over 50 residents from the Hazara-populated area of Shashpar in connection with the murder of a Hazara cleric. According to these sources, the Taliban summoned 55 residents to the district center on Wednesday, detaining 25 of them and releasing the others. Today, another 38 residents were called in and subsequently arrested.
A source disclosed that these arrests occurred despite the victim’s wife asserting that the killers were Pashtun. The cleric, Rustam Rahimi, was killed last Saturday by two individuals reportedly dressed in Taliban uniforms. The source further noted that the killers lured Rahimi to the mosque under the pretense of seeking a talisman. Rahimi’s wife, the first to arrive at the scene, identified the attackers as Pashtun.
The Taliban are reportedly pressuring Rahimi’s son to identify a suspect, leading him to accuse a man named Ruhullah under duress. Plans are underway for Rahimi’s son, wife, and relatives to testify in court about the coerced confession. The source added that the Taliban are attempting to portray the series of murders in Shashpar as internal Hazara conflicts. Last year, similar accusations were made against the Hazaras, but investigations by the Taliban from Kabul and the United Nations found no evidence implicating them.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, numerous murders of Hazara residents in Khas Uruzgan have been reported. Local sources state that at least 21 residents have been killed, with the Taliban failing to identify or apprehend the perpetrators. Additionally, there have been reports of Pashtun individuals cutting down trees, burning crops, and destroying property in various villages of the district.
