QUETTA, March 29: The Afghan government has placed commander of Spin Boldak district Abdul Raziq under house arrest in connection with last week’s killing of 17 Pakistanis in Afghan area near Pakistan border.

The Governor of Kandahar, Asadullah Khalid, on Wednesday told journalists in the Pakistani border town Chaman about the detention.

“Raziq has been removed of his office after the incident,” he said and added that an independent commission had initiated investigation into the killings.

Raziq claimed after the killings that the victims were Taliban and planning to attack Afghan forces in the Spin Boldak area.

The Pakistan government denied the claim and said that they were Pakistanis and had gone to Afghanistan to participate in Nouroz celebrations in Kabul on the invitation of some Afghans.