The United States and the United Kingdom have accused the Afghan Taliban of massacring civilians as they captured a town in Kandahar province near the Pakistan border.
The US and UK embassies in Kabul both tweeted Monday that dozens of civilians were slaughtered in Spin Boldak in revenge killings that could constitute “war crimes.” The statements came because the US stepped up airstrikes aimed at slowing a rapid advance by the Taliban in several Afghan provincial capitals.
Afghan security forces attempted to recapture the Spin Boldak district in the days after it fell to the Taliban on July 14, according to a report by the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
The military operation was welcomed by some local residents, who ran out of their homes to greet the Afghan soldiers. The operation ultimately failed, however, and the Taliban conducted a sweep of the villages to identify government supporters.
At least 40 civilians were then expelled from their homes and killed by the Taliban, according to the report, which also accused Taliban fighters of looting property.
