MAZAR-E-SHARIF: The Taliban released 235 hostages from a remote village in northern Afghanistan where it allegedly massacred around 50 civilians along with IS insurgents but others were still feared held, officials said on Tuesday.

“This evening 235 people including women and children were released from Mirzawalang as a result of mediation by the local elders and provincial officials,” said Zabihullah Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

“They have been safely evacuated to Sar-e Pul city, but there are still an unknown number of people being kept hostage there,” he added.

An Afghan security source said he thought there were still around 100 people being held hostage in Mirzawalang, situated in the Sayad district of Sar-e Pul province, after insurgents captured it at the weekend.

Taliban and IS fighters killed around 50 men, women and children in the mainly Shia village on Saturday after overrunning a government-backed militia in a 48-hour battle, according to local officials, who also said they took a number of residents captive.

“Despite the efforts of elders the bodies of the victims have not been recovered,” Mohammad Zaher Wahdat, the provincial governor, told Tolo News, an Afghanistan television news channel. “Two hundred and thirty-five hostages have been released. They are so shocked they can’t even speak to tell us about anymore other hostages,” he added.

Amani, the provincial spokesman, has said that dozens of Taliban and IS group fighters, under the command of a local Taliban commander who he claimed pledged allegiance to IS, launched a co-ordinated attack on the area on Thursday.

They defeated the Afghan Local Police (ALP) after a 48-hour battle before massacring civilians, he claimed. The majority of those killed were Shiites. Most were shot or beheaded, he said.

Afghan defence ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri told AFP that 34 civilians were known to have been killed.

Before confirmation of the release of hostages Amani said that 150 families were being held while Waziri said “an unknown number of people” had been taken hostage. “Since the villages is cut off, we can’t confirm any new killings by the terrorists,” Amani said.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2017