Soon after capturing Kabul on 15 August 2021, the Taliban conducted a televised news conference in which they pledged amnesty for all civilians. After nearly a year, research reveals that they are the greatest perpetrators of violence against Afghan civilians.
Ten months after assuming control in Afghanistan and promising “amnesty for all,” at least 341 civilians have been killed by the Taliban, according to data.
Since 15 August 2021, when Kabul fell, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Project (ACLED) has recorded 818 episodes of violence against civilians, with the Taliban purportedly responsible for almost half of them.
According to Habib Khan, founder of Afghan Peace Watch, an organization that works with ACLED to monitor political violence, the number might be far higher.
He stated, “We believe that the Taliban are responsible for the majority of the violence we have placed under the category of unidentified armed organizations (35 percent in total).”
Due to a lack of information, Mr. Khan’s team has classified these instances as the work of unidentifiable parties.
Incidents recorded include IEDs (improvised explosive devices), suicide bombings, and shelling, as well as attacks, sexual violence, and forced abductions against civilians.
Mr. Khan stated that despite the amnesty, the Taliban are targeting women, activists, and journalists, as well as former members of the Afghan national defense and security forces.
A few recordings and photographs of these instances exist, but they are too graphic to be published.
Not just the Taliban are responsible
Some of the attacks by unidentified parties have happened in Taliban-controlled regions of Afghanistan, such as the south. They may be Islamic State-affiliated or other armed groups.
The Islamic State has intensified its attacks in eastern and northern Afghanistan, as observed by Khan’s team. Since the Taliban assumed control, the group has carried out multiple bombings and attacks, killing at least 377 civilians.
While Islamic State is recognized as having murdered more people than the Taliban, over half of this total is attributable to the 26 August 2021 attack on the Kabul airport, in which 170 civilians were killed. In addition, the Taliban have committed seven times as many violent crimes against civilians.
The Taliban answer
Since the Taliban’s rise to power, the number of incidents in which civilians have been the victims of violence in the country has decreased. However, this is primarily attributable to the conclusion of the fight, which began in 2001, and the subsequent reduction in military violence, such as shelling, airstrikes, and IEDs.
The majority of reported acts of violence in Afghanistan are now directed against specific persons or groups.
Dr. Roudabeh Kishi, head of research and innovation at ACLED, stated, “We’re witnessing a lot more direct targeting (of civilians), whether it’s by the Taliban, which is the case in many cases, or by the Islamic State and other armed organizations.”
The Foreign Affairs Committee cautioned in a recent report that the Taliban had engaged in targeted executions and attacks. The Foreign Office has also stated that there is “little evidence” that the government is responding to international human rights criticism.
In reaction to the new information, a Taliban spokesman told “We are protecting the people’s honor, property, and lives. We do not violate any of their rights. Why should we? They are our citizens.”
