Taliban Shoots Seven of Mawlawi Mahdi's Men In Cold Blood

According to local sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Taliban shot dead seven fighters of Mawlawi Mahdi after their surrender in Balkhab district of Sar-e-Pol province on Sunday, June 26. The cold-blood killing took place in Glorz area near Darah Suf district.

According to Afghanistan International's ground sources, the clashes between invading Taliban and Mawlawi Mahdi’s forces in Balkhab district have ended with around 8,000 Taliban forces having been relocated to the district.

After taking over the district center, the Taliban forces have started house-to-house search operations of the residents.

Earlier, on Saturday, other media reports revealed that the Taliban had shot dead seven civilians in Balkhab district.

But local sources, who spoke to Afghanistan International on the condition of anonymity fearing the Taliban’s retaliation, said that on Saturday Taliban fighters shot dead three civilians in the Tarkhuj area of Bazaar-e-Naw and five others in the Jah Mirak area near Qom Kotal of Balkhab district.

Three days after the fierce fighting in Balkhab, the clashes have now ended, and Mawlawi Mahdi's men have fled the area.

According to Afghanistan International's sources, telephone services in the district center have been cut off and more civilians are likely to be killed by the Taliban.

Taliban officials have not yet commented on the killing of civilians in Balkhab.

The Taliban sent thousands of troops to Balkhab district in Sar-e-Pul province late last week to crack down on Mawlawi Mahdi, the group’s only Hazara commander.

Mahdi was the only Hazara Taliban commander who briefly served as the Taliban’s intelligence chief in Bamiyan after the group took control of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. After being removed from this position in January 2022, he went to his hometown in Balkhab district and parted with the Taliban due to the absence of Hazaras and Shiites in the Taliban government.