8 suspects arrested over suspicious transfer of 381 young men to Nangarhar
[KhaamaPress] At least eight people have been arrested over the suspicious transfer of 381 young men to eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.
The provincial government media office in a statement said the young men were being transferred to eastern Nangarhar province under the guise of providing work for the collection of pine nuts.
The statement further added that the suspects and the young men were arrested during an operation in Khogyani district of Nangarhar.
The governor’s office also added that a delegation consisting of deputy provincial intelligence chief, police chief, officials from the provincial and district administrative government has been formed to investigate the incident.
The detained suspects are in the custody for further questioning while the young men have been sent back to their relative provinces, the statement added.
It is yet not clear for what purposes the young men were transferred to Nangarhar.
However, the Taliban group and ISIS Khurasan loyalists often hire young men in their ranks to conduct terrorist related and insurgency activities.
Both the Taliban and ISIS loyalists are active in some remote districts of Nangarhar as counter-terrorism operations are underway to eliminate the terrorist groups from the province.
11 Taliban militants join peace process in Nangarhar
| They ain’t gonna study war no more... at least until spring. |
Provincial governor’s spokesman Ataullah Khogyani said the militants were previously operating under the command of Jalat Khan in Surkh Rod and Khogyani districts.
Khogyani further added that the militants joined peace process due to the ongoing efforts of the National Directorate of Security and handed over 11 weapons to the authorities after joining peace today.
The Taliban militants who joined peace process said they decided to renounce violence after reaching to a conclusion that the victims of the ongoing conflict are only Afghan people.
They also vowed to live peaceful lives after this and contribute in the reconstruction of the country similar as the other Afghans.
In the meantime, a member of the provincial council Dr. Nasir Kamwal, the director of the provincial youths department Matifullah Ahmadzai, and deputy director of the youths national unity community Abdul Rahman expressed satisfaction that 11 Taliban militants have reconciled with the government and called on the other militants to participate in peace talks.