KEY POINTS
- The victim had been hiding in Kabul when he was found
- The victim was left by the British army during the evacuation
- The UK Ministry of Defense said they are working to ensure safe passage out of Afghanistan
An Afghan sniper who previously worked with British special forces was brutally murdered by Taliban soldiers, a former U.K. army colonel confirmed.
The 28-year-old man, only identified as “N,” had been hiding in Kabul when the insurgents found him on Monday. The Afghan sniper, who was a father of five, was then shot and killed in front of his family.
“It was entirely predictable this would happen for all of those left behind who were given no guidance. He’s been in hiding because of the threat he faced but they found him and he was shot multiple times, executed in front of his family,” Ash Alexander-Cooper, a former British army colonel, told The Times.
“N” was a member of a British-trained elite Afghan unit known as CF333, where he served as a sniper. He was also on the list of 700 Afghans who wanted to migrate to Britain after the Taliban took over Afghanistan but was left behind, Rafi Hottak, a former interpreter living in the U.K. and the victim’s friend, told the publication.
"Regrettably, we were not able to evacuate everyone in the limited time we had available," the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense told The Times. "We will continue to work with international partners to ensure they have safe passage out of Afghanistan.”
“N” is one of the many victims the Taliban is accused of killing since they took over the Afghan government on Aug. 15.
In a BBC report published Tuesday, the insurgent group was said to have killed at least 20 civilians in the country’s Panjshir Valley, which has seen fighting between the Taliban and opposition forces. One of the victims was a shopkeeper who was arrested and accused of helping the resistance by selling them sim cards.
The shopkeeper’s body was dumped near his home days after his arrest. His body also showed signs of torture, witnesses told the outlet.
In early September, the Taliban allegedly beat and shot Negar Masoomi, a policewoman who was eight months pregnant, in front of her family in their home in the Ghor province. The Taliban has denied any involvement with the incident, citing that they are still investigating Masoomi’s murder.
A Taliban fighter stands guard as a Pakistan International Airlines plane takes off from Kabul Photo: AFP / Karim SAHIB
