Taliban carrying out door-to-door manhunt for US/UK 'collaborators', report says
20 August 2021, 06:58 | Updated: 20 August 2021, 07:20
The Taliban have ramped up their search for people who worked with US and NATO forces, a UN document warns, despite the militants vowing no revenge against opponents.
The report, from the UN's threat assessment consultants and seen by news outlets, says the group has "priority lists" of individuals it wants to arrest.
Most at risk are people who had central roles in the Afghan military, police and intelligence units, according to the document.
The hardline Islamist group has tried to reassure Afghans since seizing power in a lightning offensive, promising there would be "no revenge".
But, the report says the militant group has been carrying out "targeted door-to-door visits" of those suspected of working with allied armed forces.
Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari former Paratrooper, Major Andrew Fox, said he knew interpreters who had been threatened by the Taliban.
"Some of them are on an escape and evasion mission" attempting to get to Kabul airport and secure a safe exit from the country.
Ex-Para reacts to Taliban collaborator manhunt reports
The warning the group were targeting "collaborators" came in a confidential document by the RHIPTO Norwegian Center for Global Analyses, which provides intelligence to the UN.
"There are a high number of individuals that are currently being targeted by the Taliban and the threat is crystal clear," Christian Nellemann, who heads the group behind the report, told reporters.
"It is in writing that, unless they give themselves in, the Taliban will arrest and prosecute, interrogate and punish family members on behalf of those individuals."
"We expect both individuals previously working with NATO/US forces and their allies, alongside with their family members to be exposed to torture and executions.
"This will further jeopardize western intelligence services, their networks, methods and ability to counter both the Taliban, ISIS and other terrorist threats ahead," he added.
A German broadcaster said a family member of one of its reporters had been shot and killed by the Taliban when they came looking for the journalist, who had already fled the country.
This manhunt was despite the Taliban promising just days ago that they would seek “no revenge” and that “nobody will go to their doors to ask why they helped”.
