6 Taliban Members Killed in Herat

Bennett urged the world to take immediate action against the Taliban to stop the suppression of the Afghans.

Bennett presented a report of his 12-day visit to Afghanistan, including to Panjshir and Bamiyan provinces, to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

He spoke about his meetings with eyewitnesses in Panjshir and added that he has seen massive evidence of human rights violations in the province.

Bennett added, "The clashes between the Taliban and its opposing forces are going on in Panjshir and other northern provinces. There are credible reports of killings of prisoners of war in cold blood, which indicate serious violations of international and human rights laws.”

He added that according to the reports and statements of eyewitnesses, people have been severely oppressed by the Taliban.

Responding to reports of the severe human rights situation in Afghanistan, the Taliban's foreign ministry said on Wednesday, that these reports have been based on "rumours".

Bennett in a press conference in New York also said that due to the world's excessive attention to the Ukraine issue, Afghanistan has been forgotten. He criticised the lack of news coverage of the terrorist attack at the Kaaj educational center in the international media.

Bennett described the current situation of women and girls in Afghanistan as worse than the first period of Taliban rule in the 1990s.

The UN Special Rapporteur added that Hazaras and other minority communities have a history of prosecution. He pointed to the attack at the Kaaj educational center in western Kabul, where the victims had been killed because of their ethnicity and sect.

Bennett added, "The Kaaj attack has several interconnected aspects. It means, it has been an attack on an ethnic group, a religious minority, an attack on education and an attack on young girls.”

The Taliban haven’t reacted to the Afghanistan Freedom Front’s statement.

The Front has called on the Taliban to stop detentions, torture, and imprisonment of former Afghan security forces and has warned the Taliban that if the group continues to oppress former Afghan security forces, more members of the Taliban will be killed in targeted killings.

According to human rights organisations, despite the general amnesty given by the Taliban since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have continuously arrested and killed former Afghan security forces.

Local sources told Afghanistan International that these residents of Panjshir had taken permission from the Taliban to transport their cattle beforehand, but the Taliban didn’t pay heed to their superior’s permission letter and transferred them to the Dashtak detention center.

Taliban officials in Panjshir have not reacted to the issue so far.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, many international organisations and local residents have reported about detentions, torture, and killing of residents of Panjshir province by the Taliban.

The World Food Program had previously reported that nine out of 10 people in Afghanistan do not have access to enough food and families are unable to provide healthy food for their children.

After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the country has been facing a serious economic and humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations had previously announced that more than 95 percent of Afghan citizens live below the poverty line.

The EU Special Representative for Afghanistan addressed a meeting which was held aimed at examining the "regional impact of Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover” at the EU parliament.

Niklasson stressed that many people question the survival of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

He added that during his recent trip to Kabul and in his meetings with regional actors he has learned that fewer people see the Taliban as the only reality in Afghanistan, compared to six months back.

Niklasson added that many still see the Taliban as the most important part of Afghan society, certainly as the most important actor, but many believe that in a few years, the prospect of change exists.

The EU Special Representative added that regional actors prioritise the fight against terrorism over women's rights, which he said has been problematic.