Local sources in Uruzgan province report that Taliban forces excavated the yard of Matiullah Khan, the province's former police chief, in a search for weapons but found nothing. This occurred while the Taliban claimed to have discovered a weapons cache near the home of a former government official.
Sources told Afghanistan International that armed individuals from the Taliban police command suddenly entered Matiullah Khan's house in Tarinkot after official hours. According to them, the Taliban forces dug up several spots in the yard without presenting a legal warrant.
Eyewitnesses claim that the Taliban members treated the former commander's family in a humiliating manner and threatened them with death. The forces reportedly left the premises after their excavation yielded no weapons or ammunition.
However, the Taliban police command in Uruzgan issued a statement on Sunday, October 25, announcing that an operation in Tarinkot led to the discovery of four Kalashnikov rifles, one pistol, and ammunition from a hideout. The Taliban's statement did not mention Matiullah Khan by name nor specify the exact location of the hideout.
This is not the first time Matiullah Khan's family has complained of pressure from the Taliban. Last year, his relatives said the Taliban detained his three sons for about a month, allegedly conditioning their release on the handover of weapons. The family claimed they had to buy weapons from the market with their own money to secure the sons' freedom.
Matiullah Khan was an influential security commander in southern Afghanistan during the republic era. He was killed in a suicide attack in Kabul in March 2015. His family says they continue to face house searches and pressure from Taliban forces despite holding official amnesty cards.
Source: Afghanistan International
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