US expresses concern over killings of civilians in Afghanistan

Washington: The US has expressed its concerns over the recent killings of civilians by the Taliban group in war-ravaged Afghanistan.

At a media briefing on Friday, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said that the US is “closely tracking” and is “concerned about” retaliatory killings of civilians in Afghanistan.

“If the Taliban claim to want international legitimacy, these actions are not going to get them the legitimacy they seek. They do not have to stay on this trajectory. They could choose to devote the same energy to the peace process as they are to their military campaign,” Afghanistan’s TOLO News quoted Psaki as saying.

Recently, the Taliban killed many key figures in Afghanistan, including the government’s media head Dawa Khan Menapal, renowned poet Abdullah Aifi and the country’s famous comedian Nazar Mohammad.

Multiple reports have also emerged claiming that the Taliban are looting innocent civilians after taking control of the key areas.

On Friday, the insurgent group captured the Nimroz province’s capital Zaranj.

Since the foreign troops started fleeing Afghanistan, the Taliban had been extensively fighting with the Afghan government in an attempt to gain control of key areas.