Roundup: Beheading of 7 Afghan civilians by IS draws nationwide condemnations

The barbaric killing and beheading of seven abductees by militants allegedly affiliated with the so-called Islamic State (IS) or Daesh in Afghanistan's southern Zabul province on Saturday has triggered massive condemnations across the country.

Daesh fighters, according to locals, kidnapped seven travelers belonging to Hazara minority from Ghazni province around a month ago and beheaded them on Saturday in Khak-e-Afghan district of the neighboring Zabul province where both Taliban and Daesh insurgents are active.

Although none of the insurgent groups have claimed responsibility, the people close to victims families as well as local officials have pointed finger at the IS outfit for committing brutal murder of innocent civilians which include two women, a child and four men.

To condemn the violent incident, hundreds of people gathered in Kabul on Tuesday afternoon to receive the coffins, besides calling on the government to bring to justice all those behind the heinous crime.

Earlier in the day, thousands of people staged protest demonstration in the victims' native province Ghazni and denounced the government for what they termed government's failure to protect its citizens.

In addition to chanting slogans against the hardliner groups of Taliban and Daesh, the demonstrators called upon government to arrest and apply exemplary punishment to all those involved in decapitation of innocent citizens.

Carrying banners that read "murderers should be brought to justice," and "death to Taliban, death to Daesh," the demonstrators called upon the government to protect its citizens and provide security for travelers on roads and highways elsewhere in the country.

"Our demand for the government is bring to justice all those involved in the brutal killing of innocent civilians," a protester named Mohammad Jaffar told Xinhua.

The protestors in Kabul also light candles to pay homage to all the seven victims of armed insurgents.

Meanwhile, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in a message released Monday condemned the violent killing of the civilians in its strongest term and vowed to bring to justice anyone involved in the barbaric act.

A parliamentarian group, Rawand-3, in a statement released here Tuesday evening strongly condemned the beheading of civilians as coward terrorist act and called upon the government to use all its resources for bringing to justice the perpetrators of the inhumane act. Endit