Taliban fighters force men into car boots

The Taliban is carrying out reprisal attacks against former soldiers and government workers, the UN has been told, as video emerged showing the group's fighters forcing young men into car boots in the capital Kabul, the Daily Mail reported.

Michelle Bachelet, speaking at the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, said she has seen "credible reports" that Taliban fighters are searching house-to-house to track down anyone who helped the former government or the US.

"Officials who worked for previous administrations and their family members (are) being arbitrarily detained. In some cases, the officials were released, and in others, they were found dead."

As she spoke, footage appeared online showing men, some of whom appear to be Taliban fighters, forcing at least four men into car boots.

It is unclear exactly why these young men were being detained, but it comes just after the Taliban claimed to have conquered the Panjshir province, where an alliance of warlords was holding out against Islamist rule, the Daily Mail report said.

UN staffers have also reported increasing attacks and threats, she added, without providing specifics.

Bachelet also highlighted "deeply troubling information" about Taliban raids on offices of some advocacy groups.


"In contradiction to assurances that the Taliban would uphold women's rights, over the past three weeks women have instead been progressively excluded from the public sphere," she told the 47-member Council as it opened its autumn session - IANS