Taliban hold family members of Yuldashev as captives

SAR-I-PUL (SW) – First vice president, Abdul Rasheed Dostum, has confirmed the Taliban have kept multiple family members of Tohir Yuldashev as captives in Sar-i-Pul province.

Yuldashev, cofounded the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, an Islamist organization active in Central Asia, and was killed in Pakistan in 2009.

VP Dostum said this as he visited Aqcha district of Jawzjan to assess the security situation. He said two sons of the slain Uzbekistani leader as well as one of his sisters and 20 more children and women remain under the Taliban custody. He added Yuldashev’s brother remains active in the mountains of Sar-i-Pul.

The Taliban are yet to comment on this.

In his remarks, Dostum condemned the killing of 20 security forces in Aqcha in a Taliban attack. He warned if the insurgents continued with their attacks against the people, he would take charge of fighting in Faryab, Sar-i-Pul and Jawzjan province, and ‘completely destroy’ the group.

Dostum said he is conceiving nationwide security plans and would execute them along with the security forces.

ENDS