Civile afghanere frygter Talibans hævn

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Now living in the Ashaba valley of Jabal us Saraj district, she is spending the freezing winter months living in a threadbare tent with her five children.

While she is now safe from insurgent threats, she struggles to support her family.

Her two daughters and three sons, aged between three and 13, spend their days trying to find scraps of wood to burn so they can warm their tent.

Eight-year-old Rafiullah said that he used to love going to school, but understood that the family was now too poor for him to continue his education.

A three-month IWPR investigation has revealed how numerous civilians in Parwan province have fallen victim to retaliatory attacks by insurgent forces. Some have been forced to flee their homes, while others have been murdered.

But IWPR also found that local people whose family members had joined the Taleban also found themselves targeted by the state security forces. In some cases, merely coming from an area outside government control made people instantly suspicious.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, both sides deny resorting to such tactics.

Strategic aims

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