Several army soldiers were wounded in a clash with guards working for acting Interior Minister Hayatullah Hayat in Herat on Friday. The incident has sparked strong reactions.
Local civilian and security officials in Herat confirmed that three army soldiers were wounded in an attack by Hayatullah Hayat's guards, and called the incident "an insult to the law."
According to the officials, the incident took place after an argument between Hayat's bodyguards and army soldiers at the guest house of the Minister of Industry and Trade in Herat.
The Ministry of Interior and local officials in Herat declined to officially provide details on the incident.
According to local sources in Herat, the incident took place on the second night of Eid at the guest house of Nisar Ahmad Ghoriani, Minister of Industry and Trade.
Allegedly, Hayat's bodyguards first argued with the army soldiers and then shot and beat them severely.
“The soldiers serve the people all day and night so they can live in peace. If you are the right minister, come and fight on the front line,” said a Herat resident, Shams Rahman Ahmadzai.
“A soldier who has always been on the front lines of the war should not be beaten in the city. We did not expect such an action,” said Mohammad Yousuf, another resident of Herat.
While officials did not provide details on the incident, a reliable source on condition of anonymity told TOLOnews that three army soldiers were seriously wounded from gunfire by Hayatullah Hayat's bodyguards.
Toryalai Taheri, the deputy head of Badghis provincial council, said: “The action of the minister's bodyguards against ANA soldiers was unfair. The minister should not have ordered his bodyguards to act in such a fierce way and beat the soldiers.”
Military experts called the attack by the guards of the acting Minister of Interior "shameful," and said that the perpetrators of such violent acts should be brought to justice.
“Those who are non-professional, non-military and are not familiar with military and ethical codes are being assigned to high-rank positions, and they constantly violate the laws,” a military expert, Mohammad Nayeem Ghayur, said.
TOLOnews tried to reach the Ministry of Interior for further information about the incident, but the ministry refused to provide details.
This incident comes as the acting Interior Minister has been investigating the security situation in the western parts of the country for the last three days.