Kandahar: Taliban on Thursday said they had killed an Afghan police officer, who was better known to post funny videos online, after the clip appeared on social media that showed him beaten and his body.
Fazal Mohammad, which is popularly referred to as “Khasha Zwan”, was placed in the South Kandahar province but was taken away by the Taliban after returning home about two weeks ago, according to an officer who served him.
Last week, the viral video appeared showing Mohammad, his hand was tied behind him and sat between two people in the car, slapped repeatedly.
Another clip is intended to show the body.
“He was not a comedian, he fought us in several battles.
He had tried to escape when we held him back, encouraging our gunmen to kill him,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Thursday.
“He is a policeman who is active and responsible for the deaths of many people,” he told AFP.
The Sailab Police Commander, who has one name like many Afghans and who works with Mohammad, said the comic was never mobilized in battle and more is a comforter for inspection post officers.
Militants initially denied them had to do with their murders, until the video became viral.
The murder came when the Taliban (which strictly banned all forms of entertainment when they control Afghanistan) made a territorial increase swept throughout the country.
Sarwar Danesh’s second vice president said in a Facebook post that “shows the nature of the enemies of this land and their hostility to culture, art and freedom”.
Mohammad’s murder also sparked anger on social media.
“The innocent Khasha face hurts every human being.
They (the Taliban) have shot dead, they are the most cruel people in the world,” said posting on Facebook.
Taliban has been accused of carrying out targeted killings, including journalists, judges and activists since signing an important contract with Washington last year which paved the way for the withdrawal of foreign troops.
Violence increasingly jumped since the beginning of May, when the rebels launched a campaign in the countryside after foreign forces began their last withdrawal.