Local Militia Kills Eight Afghan Civilians

Pro-government militiamen in northern Afghanistan have shot dead at least eight civilians after mistakenly blaming villagers for a Taliban attack.

Officials in Kunduz Province say a local militia commander and 20 fighters launched the assault in the village of Kunum after the Taliban on September 1 killed two men, including a militia fighter, and dumped their bodies in Kunum.

Officials said as many as 10 civilians might have been killed and eight injured in the attack but could not say whether women or children were among those affected.

Local militias, or "arbakis," were formed by the central government and NATO to combat the Taliban in remote areas.


Based on reporting by AFP and dpa