The remains of security forces who fought for the former government are still being held at a government hospital because they have not been identified, a top defense ministry official said on Sunday.  

Addressing a gathering of family members of war victims in in the northern province of Badakhshan, the chief of staff of the army, Qari Fasihuddin, said that both the previous and current government had attempted to find the families of the victims but so far there has been no progress. 

“A container is full of the physical remains of the previous government’s security forces at (Sardar Mohammad) Daud Khan hospital,” he added. “The former government failed to find the families of these military personnel and the Islamic Emirate is also trying to find the families of these dead security forces to hand over the bodies.”  

The family members of the Islamic Emirate forces who lost their lives during the past two decades of war called on the officials of the Islamic Emirate to consider their economic situation.  

“The Islamic Emirate should pay attention to the remains of those Taliban families who fought during the past 20 years, and the economic challenges of the families should be solved,” said, Mohammad Shafi, a resident of Badakhshan.  

“The Islamic Emirate should pay attention to the orphans of the victims of the past 20 years and provide education facilities for them,” said, Abdul Basir, another resident of the province.