The Ministry of Defense (MoD) is investigating a video apparently showing a number of Afghan Army soldiers mutilatingTaliban corpses in Arghandab district in Zabul province in southern Afghanistan.
 
“The Afghan Ministry of Defense is fully aware of the footage that was shared on social media, we will seriously investigate and assess the issue, if personnel of the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces are found guilty, they will be treated in accordance with the prevailing laws of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” said Fawad Aman, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry. 
 
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, said footage posted Thursday on social media purporting to show Afghan Army personnel mutilating Taliban corpses is deeply shocking.
 
It added that the announced Defense Ministry investigation needs to be swift and open. If crimes are proven the criminals must be identified and held responsible, UNAMA said. 
 
The Taliban has called on human rights organizations to investigate the incident.
 
“To prevent such incidents, we call on the warring sides to respect international and Islamic laws regarding this matter and respect human dignity and human rights,” said Lal Gul Lal, head of Human Rights Organization in Afghanistan, a Kabul-based rights organization.
 
“At a time when Afghanistan has reached closer to a conclusion with the peace process, such incidents must be taken seriously by the Taliban and the Afghan government,” said Abdul Rahman Wardak, an MP.
 
The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission called the incident concerning and said that such acts can prove dangerous for peace under current circumstances.
 
“Blasphemous treatment with the hostages or war captives or with the dead bodies of the opponent side is a clear violation of human rights, such a move provokes a feeling for revenge and will have a negative impact on the intra-Afghan talks,” said Zabihullah Farhang, head of media office of the organization.
 
This comes as the bodies of three members of the Afghan National Army (ANA) have been found in Khak-e-Jabar district of Kabul province, the family members confirmed on Thursday.
 
The family members of the dead soldiers said that the three were taken hostage by the Taliban and were "brutally tortured" by the group before being shot.