Authorities in Afghanistan on Thursday ordered an investigation into a video circulating online that showed a group of Afghan troops occupying the bodies of Taliban fighters.
The two-minute clip, which quickly went viral on social media, jumped ahead of expected peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban following President Ashraf Ghani’s announcement to release the final batch of Taliban prisoners. t were agreed as part of a US-Taliban deal.
The video, which AFP could not immediately verify, shows a man in military uniform with a bile to beat the heads and faces of what turned out to be two dead Taliban fighters.
Other bodies are seen nearby, and the sound of laughter can be heard as a group of men in uniform watch.
The Taliban said the video was filmed in Zabul province in the south of the country and that government forces had treated the dead fighters “barbarically”.
Afghan government orders investigation
The Ministry of Defense said it had ordered a probe in the video showing “what appears to be some members of security forces who are not performing properly with a number of dead bodies”.
“If verified that the perpetrators are members of the ANA (Afghan National Army), they will be treated,” the ministry said in a statement.
The desecration of corpses during the war in Afghanistan has been a recurring problem, with several videos appearing over the past 20 years, including one in 2011 showing a group of U.S. Marines urinating on three bodies with blood.
That video caused outrage around the world, prompting an investigation and criminal prosecution.
This is beyond tragic and inhuman action. Wish the gov and Ministry of Justice as Supreme Court of Afghanistan. Take an immediate and necessary step to pursue the matter.
It is deeply saddening to see no difference between terrorists and the legislature!– Ahmad Rayed (@ AhmadRayed5) August 13, 2020
The latest clip comes as Kabul is set to release some 400 Taliban prisoners ahead of peace talks with the armed group, which has been fighting by US-led troops since it was ousted in 2001.
Kabul has already released about 4,500 Taliban prisoners, while the armed group has released about 1,000 Afghan security personnel as part of the February agreement signed between the US and the Taliban in the Qatari capital, Doha.
The release of the Taliban prisoners has to do with opposition in the country, as many of the interventions involved brutal attacks targeting both Afghans and foreigners.
President Ghani on Sunday agreed to the release of 400 Taliban prisoners after an Afghan rally known as the Loya Jirga passed a resolution approving the movement.
The intra-Afghan talks, initially scheduled to take place in March, were delayed because the Afghan government was reluctant to release all Taliban prisoners.
President Donald Trump, running for re-election in November, has repeatedly said he wants to end America’s longest-running war, which began nearly 20 years ago.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
.
