Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, Taliban’s Chief of Staff of Army, headed a military delegation to Balkhab district of Sar-e-Pul province. The Ministry of Defense of Taliban said that the delegation visit has been scheduled for assessment of the security situation of Balkhab district.
The Ministry of Defense of the Taliban reported that Mawlawi Muzamal and Mawlawi Najibullah, the deputy of the Ministry of Interior and the General Directorate of Intelligence of the Taliban, were also part of the military delegation.
In late July, the Taliban sent thousands of military forces to suppress Mawlawi Mahdi, the only Hazara commander of the group, to Balkhab district of Sar-e-Pul province. Three days after the fierce fighting in Balkhab, the pro-Mahdi forces fled from the district.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid for Afghanistan (OCHA) announced that at least 27,000 people have been displaced as a result of the three-day war in Balkhab.
Human Rights organizations reported that the Taliban have shot civilians, set people's houses on fire, and killed prisoners in Balkhab district.
