Noor Promises Justice For Slain Bus Passengers
KABUL: (Middle East Press) Atta Mohammad Noor, the acting governor of northern Balkh province, said on Monday that the gunmen involved in the killing of 13 bus passengers in Zare district of the province are being sought and that once arrested they will be brought to justice.
Noor made the remarks while meeting with the families of the slain passengers. He said that the attack had likely been a plan by insurgents to escalate sectarian violence between Afghan ethnic groups.
He condemned the killing in the strongest possible terms and promised the family members of the victims that those responsible would be brought to justice.
“We do not see the incident as a small event as it directly links to the security of Afghanistan. It is an accident which relates to the dignity of the people of Afghanistan,” Noor said.
“We are responsible regarding the matter, we cannot say that police were unable to do anything, the incident took place in an area where the insurgents came and accomplished their mission, we are determined to complete our task, detect them [terrorists] and address the issue,” he said.
Meanwhile, family members of the slain passengers have again called on the Afghan legal, judicial institutions and the police to arrest the assailants and bring them to justice.
“The perpetrators, whether they belong to any government opposition party or structure should be arrested,” Sayed Hayatollah, brother of one the passengers said.
The Balkh governor warns that the killing seems to be an attempt to destabilize northern regions particularly Balkh province, urging that the security forces in Balkh stop allowing insurgents to infiltrate the region.
“The enemy is seeking to escalate a sectarian violence, therefore people must be cautious about the situation so that they aren’t sacrificed for the conspiracy,” Noor further said. Tolonews reports.
