Former Afghanistan local official's ancestral home seen in ruins after retribution from Taliban militants
Record ID:
1638916
Former Afghanistan local official's ancestral home seen in ruins after retribution from Taliban militants
- Title: Former Afghanistan local official's ancestral home seen in ruins after retribution from Taliban militants
- Date: 28th September 2021
- Summary: KODI KHEL, NANGARHAR, AFGHANISTAN (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 23, 2021) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) VIEW OF INTERIOR OF FORMER NANGARHAR PROVINCIAL AJMAL OMAR'S RUINED HOUSE KODI KHEL, NANGARHAR, AFGHANISTAN (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 23, 2021) (ORIGINALLY FILMED IN PORTRAIT) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RUINED HOUSE RUINED COURTYARD COLLAPSED BUILDING JALALABAD, NANGARHAR, AFGHANISTAN (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 3, 2021) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) (MUTE) SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SHOWING ARMED MEN SAID TO BE TALIBAN WALKING OUTSIDE AJMAL OMAR'S JALALABAD HOME
- Embargoed: 12th October 2021 11:21
- Keywords: Afghanistan Taliban ancestral home civil conflict civil war former government forces general amnesty government retribution
- Location: KODI KHEL, JALALABAD, NANGARHAR, AFGHANISTAN
- City: KODI KHEL, JALALABAD, NANGARHAR, AFGHANISTAN
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Crime/Law/Justice
- Reuters ID: LVA001EWMTKXX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Local politician Ajmal Omar's ancestral home is now in ruins after the Taliban detonated explosives and detained and whipped several of his relatives to try to establish his whereabouts.
Soon after the Taliban seized power on August 15, the Islamist militant movement sought to reassure former opponents by saying there would be no reprisals.
But Omar and his family have said that their experience contradicted that commitment.
Omar - a deputy head of the former provincial council in Nangarhar - had a family home in Kodi Khel in Nangahar's Sherzad district, and had been spearheading efforts to drive the Taliban out in the previous years, persuading young adults to join U.S.-backed forces fighting the insurgents.
Video obtained by Reuters showed Omar's ancestral home in Kodi Khel in ruins, with crumbling walls as well as burnt out rooms and collapsed roofs. Reuters was able to match the terrain shown in some of the clips to that of a walled compound in Sherzad district in Nangarhar, but was not able to independently verify that the villa was destroyed by the Taliban.
Reuters was also able to obtain photos of the villa before the destruction, which matched terrain and satellite imagery of the compound.
Six residents of Kodi Khel told Reuters that they were ordered to stay indoors as militants searched for Omar on August 13, when the Taliban retook the district in a lightning offensive.
Family members and locals said that several explosives were detonated after cars and other valuables were taken.
Militants also visited Omar's Jalalabad home on September 3, taking his three sons, five nephews and a brother into custody, and confiscating gold, cash, cars, an armoured vehicle and guns that he used for protection.
Surveillance footage obtained by Reuters showed armed men outside Omar's Jalalabad home.
Taliban spokespeople did not respond to questions about events described by Omar's family and local residents or about his efforts to help defeat them.
A Taliban cabinet minister told Reuters that commanders across the country had raided former government officials' homes and offices to seize weapons and armored vehicles, but he was not aware of punishment meted out to Omar's family.
Omar has gone into hiding.
He declined to comment for this story, citing security concerns.
(Production: Yi Shu Ng, Nur-Azna Sanusi) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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