Targeted killings leave Kunduz residents on edge

KABUL: A series of murders in the contested city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan has spooked citizens already living in fear because of the insecurity brought by the Taliban.

Ghulam Rabbani Rabbani, head of the provincial council, said that since June 5 almost 30 people had been shot by unknown gunmen.

According to Rabbani, four of the victims were security forces, but the rest were “ordinary citizens”.

He believes that Taliban militants are behind some of the murders, however, “beside the Taliban, I think families with old enmities are taking advantage of the chaotic situation to eliminate their rivals,”Rabbani said.

The Taliban, a fundamentalist group who controlled Afghanistan prior to 2001, have been fighting a long insurgency across the country.

However, Kunduz province is also ethnically and politically fragmented, and numerous militias are roaming about and defending various warlords’ agendas.

Kunduz is home to Pashtuns, Tajiks and Uzbeks, many of whom have old animosities and have been waiting for an opportunity to kill, Mullah Ajab Gul Naseri, head of the National Solidarity Council in Kunduz, said. But some rivalries exist even in the same ethnic groups. “Matin, a police commander from Kharoti tribe, was attacked by people from the Musa Zai tribe,both sides Pashtun, around six days ago and survived the attack,” Ajab Gul cited one example of violece. Matinak beat a member of the Musa Zai tribe very badly about two days ago, Ajab Gul added, saying that this will only make the violence worse.

“The current situation in Kunduz is very concerning to the residents of this city,” Haji Mohammad Sarwar, a 65-year-old local, said.

“We don’t know who is killing who. I have lived all my life in Kunduz and I have never felt as much fear as I am feeling now,” Sarwar added.