Residents of Malistan district in the central province of Ghazni claim that the Taliban shot and killed 43 civilians and security force members after the group attacked the district earlier this month. Similar occurrences have been reported in other areas as well.

Among those killed were two young men whose father said they were killed while leaving the area with their families and that they were not government employees or security force members.

Residents of Shakar Dara district, north of Kabul city, claim that five people--four security force members and a police hospital employee--were taken by the Taliban and then killed by the group.

The residents said the incident occurred in Haji Paik village in Shakar Dara on Friday night as the Taliban conducted a two-hour search operation on a street in the village.