Taliban Kills 22 Afghan Special Forces Troops - Report

By Staff, Agencies

At least 22 commandos of an Afghan Special Forces unit were executed in Faryab Province's town of Dawlat Abad on June 16, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing confirmation of the deaths by the Red Cross.

While the incident occurred nearly a month earlier, graphic video footage of the alleged execution has only been recently made public.

Commandos said to be from the Afghan Special Forces unit are seen being led out of a building in one video. Soon after, gunshots ring out at the open-air marketplace.

According to the outlet, the commandos ran out of ammunition as they were attempting to defend the town from Taliban forces.

Members of the Taliban argued to CNN that the obtained footage was misrepresented in an effort to encourage Afghan forces to not surrender. The group's spokesperson asserted that they were still holding at least 24 Afghan commandos.

However, the Afghan Ministry of Defense, which has confirmed the 22 reported deaths, has denied the Taliban's detention of two dozen commandos in the Faryab Province. 

According to US President Joe Biden, US troops will officially finish withdrawing from their mission in Afghanistan by August 31.

While Afghan authorities recognize the Taliban's right to exist as a legitimate political force, the government has expressed that it will not stand for the group becoming a "monopoly" alongside others.

Presently, the Taliban controls at least 212 districts in Afghanistan, while the Afghan government controls 70 districts, according to a tracker by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Long War Journal. Some 116 districts remain contested.