10 August 2017

News Story: Afghan villagers flee abandoned village, join IDPs after militants provide passage

SARI PUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- More than 235 Afghan villagers fled their houses and joined displaced relatives in Sari Pul, city capital of northern Sari Pul province late Tuesday, after militants allow them to leave the village seized earlier, authorities said on Wednesday.

On Thursday, two rival groups of Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) make alliance and jointly attacked Mirza Olang village in Sayyad district, triggering heavy clashes with Afghan Local Police (ALP) and its allied tribal militiamen.

On Saturday, ALP and local militias abandoned their security posts and the militants overran the mountainous district, killing and beheading dozens of civilians and members of ALP and local militias besides blocking the main road into the valley.

Read the full story at Xinhua