The Taliban-led government has rejected a recent report by an international human rights watchdog that said the group had executed dozens of Afghan security members after they surrendered following the fall of civilian government earlier this year. According to a report by TOLOnews, Human Rights Watch said in its report that the Taliban has "killed or disappeared "more than 100 Afghan former security members" in four provinces including Kandahar, Helmand, Ghazni and Kunduz in less than three months since taking control of Afghanistan.

Saeed Khosti, a Taliban official, was quoted as saying, “We reject this report, if they own documents proving the issue they can share them with us so we can arrest and legally act against the criminals. The Islamic Emirate never chased or killed former security forces. Some former military forces may have lost lives as a result of personal hostility."

The HRW had conducted research between August 15 to October 3 and interviewed about 67 people in these provinces. “The Taliban leadership’s promised amnesty has not stopped local commanders from summarily executing or disappearing former Afghan security force members,” said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director of the Human Rights Watch.

“The burden is on the Taliban to prevent further killings, hold those responsible to account, and compensate the victims’ families.”

The report further said the Taliban leaders has ordered former Afghan security members to surrender and receive a letter that can guarantee their safety under the amnesty program, and so using this strategy the Taliban identified Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) members, TOLOnews reported.(SAM)