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The Afghan National Army (photo illustration). SHAH MARAI / AFP

According to a new report by Human Rights Watch, CIA-backed Afghan paramilitary forces are responsible for summary executions and serious violations that can be equated with war crimes.

The 50-page Human Rights Watch (HRW) report reports multiple crimes committed between the end of 2017 and mid-2019.

These crimes were reported by dozens of residents, mostly in rural and remote areas, who witnessed nightly air strikes targeting hospitals and villages . These strikes have resulted in a significant increase in civilian casualties .

Night raids and summary executions

Patricia Gossman is the Deputy Director of HRW's Asia Division. "For several years now, the CIA has been holding anti-terrorist operations in parallel with its military operations with the Afghan government against the Taliban and the Islamic State in Afghanistan, " she said.

In the last year and a half, there has been a sharp increase in night-time strikes and cases in which these forces involved in night raids have committed atrocities, including summary executions and enforced disappearances.

" These operations seem to aim to push the Taliban away from the areas they control in rural areas of the country. These strikes are somehow under the radar of the media, they occur in the middle of the night in the most remote areas of the country, "said Patricia Gossman.

" The real problem is that absolutely nobody answers for these crimes, there is no transparency regarding these operations, the victims have no one to turn to and until today we have seen no credible investigation into the allegations mentioned in this report. "

Targeted civilians

The HRW report mentions the capture of civilians, often men, whose families, for the most part, do not know where they are. The paramilitary forces surprise the inhabitants at home, at night, reigning terror.

NGO HRW reports that Afghan paramilitary forces have been recruited, trained and equipped by the CIA. Their close ties date back to the 1980s, when the CIA was equipping Afghan rebels and mujahideen against Soviet troops.

According to the Special Inspector General for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan between January and September 2019, the Afghan Special Forces conducted 2,531 ground operations, more than the 2,365 operations conducted in 2018.

According to a United Nations report, between 1 July and 30 September 2019, 1,174 people were killed and 3,139 injured in Afghanistan. This is 42% more than in 2018 at the same time.

Afghanistan: CIA-Backed Forces Committee Atrocities https://t.co/J0SVV1Dm2j

Human Rights Watch (@hrw) October 31, 2019