PUL-E-KHUMRI (SW) – Coal mine workers in Baghlan province feel insecure amid rising incidents of targeted attacks in the recent days.
Two days ago, unidentified gunmen shot two of the workers, killing one and seriously injuring another in the head, according to a number of workers at a coal mine in the Talobarfak district of Baghlan province.
According to the workers, the two workers killed and wounded by the unidentified gunmen were Hazaras and residents of Bamyan and Daikundi.
A worker at the coal mine, who did not want to be named, said that after the incident, about 500 workers from Baghlan, Bamyan, Daikundi, Balkh, Parwan and Kabul provinces feel insure while working in the area due to threats from unidentified gunmen. He said many left the mine and returned to their provinces, including many of Bamyan who took with them the dead body of their recently assassinated colleague.
He added that the Bamyani workers had called on the forces of the Islamic Emirate to provide security to the “Duab” area of Kohmard district of the province, but the forces of the Islamic Emirate did not pay attention to the demands of the workers.
Mohammad (a pseudonym), a coal mine worker in Talobarfak district, also confirmed that two days after two miners were killed and wounded by unidentified gunmen, about 300 workers left the mine for fear of unidentified gunmen. They worked for many days, but returned home empty-handed.
Mohammad added: “40 to 50 workers are forced to stay in the mine due to lack of car rental. Other workers have gone home for fear of unknown gunmen. Two days ago, two workers were shot for no reason. One worker died and the other was seriously injured. We transferred him to Kabul for treatment. I do not think he will survive.”
Ghulam Hassan, a resident of Daikundi and a worker at the coalmine in the district, told Salam Watandar that he had been working hard at the coal mine for months, and had saved some money, but could not return home to Daikundi.
We also wanted to report the views of local officials of the Islamic Emirate for the district, but to no avail.
On the other hand, Mawlawi Siddiqullah Shahin Mosafer, the security commander of the Islamic Emirate of Bamyan, said he was unaware of the incident and that he had not yet received a report.
ENDS
