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Taliban Say They Killed 7 Afghan Policemen Taliban Say They Killed 7 Afghan Policemen
(about 4 hours later)
MAIDAN WARDAK, Afghanistan — A group of Afghan policemen were kidnapped on Wednesday while traveling in civilian clothes, and the Taliban later claimed they had killed seven of them.MAIDAN WARDAK, Afghanistan — A group of Afghan policemen were kidnapped on Wednesday while traveling in civilian clothes, and the Taliban later claimed they had killed seven of them.
In a statement emailed to journalists, the militants said that they had killed the policemen in an ambush in the Said Abad District of Wardak Province, and that they found documents on them that showed they were members of the Afghan Civil Order Police, an elite police unit. In a statement emailed to journalists, the militants said that they had killed the policemen in an ambush in the Said Abad district of Wardak Province, and that they found documents on them that showed they were members of the Afghan Civil Order Police, an elite police unit.
Ataullah Lodin, a spokesman for the governor of Wardak Province, said the authorities there had reports that a dozen of the officers had been kidnapped by insurgents. They had been traveling from southern Afghanistan along Highway 1, the main road to the capital, in order to collect their salaries, and were all in civilian dress, he said.Ataullah Lodin, a spokesman for the governor of Wardak Province, said the authorities there had reports that a dozen of the officers had been kidnapped by insurgents. They had been traveling from southern Afghanistan along Highway 1, the main road to the capital, in order to collect their salaries, and were all in civilian dress, he said.
Afghan police officers often travel to Kabul to get paid and to visit their families, and generally do so in civilian clothes for their safety.Afghan police officers often travel to Kabul to get paid and to visit their families, and generally do so in civilian clothes for their safety.
In an unrelated episode, Mariam Kufi, a member of Parliament, was shot and wounded by an official of the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan intelligence service, at her home in Kabul on Tuesday night, according to official accounts. She was in stable condition in a Kabul hospital with leg wounds. Gen. Zmaray Paikan, the commander of the unit, disputed the Taliban account, saying that six rather than seven officers had abandoned the vehicle they were in after it broke down on the highway, and scattered. Two were rescued, the others were missing. “We tried to call them but their phones were switched off, hopefully they are somewhere with no network coverage,” he said. The driver of the vehicle was held for questioning, he added.
Speaking on condition of anonymity in line with policy, an Interior Ministry official said the shooting took place after Ms. Kufi had a verbal argument with the officer. “He didn’t try to kill her,” the official said. “He just fired on the ground near her feet to prevent her from getting closer to him. She was accidentally shot twice in one of her legs.” In an unrelated episode, Mariam Kufi, a member of Parliament, was shot and wounded by an officer of the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan intelligence service, at her home in Kabul on Tuesday night, according to official accounts. She was in stable condition in a Kabul hospital with leg wounds.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as required by his ministry, added that the N.D.S. officer had been arrested. Speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with policy, an Interior Ministry official said the shooting took place after Ms. Kufi had an argument with the officer. “He didn’t try to kill her,” the official said. “He just fired on the ground near her feet to prevent her from getting closer to him. She was accidentally shot twice in one of her legs.”
The official added that the National Directorate of Security officer had been arrested.
However, Ms. Kufi’s sister, the well-known women’s rights activist and politician Fawzia Kufi, disputed that version, calling it an “assassination attempt” on her sister while she was in her car outside her home and office.However, Ms. Kufi’s sister, the well-known women’s rights activist and politician Fawzia Kufi, disputed that version, calling it an “assassination attempt” on her sister while she was in her car outside her home and office.
“Her bodyguard immediately responded to the shooting from inside the car,” she said. “The shooting did not happen as a result of a verbal argument.” She had no explanation for a possible motive.“Her bodyguard immediately responded to the shooting from inside the car,” she said. “The shooting did not happen as a result of a verbal argument.” She had no explanation for a possible motive.