Six people were killed and 19 were injured in Afghanistan when protesters clashed with police in the country’s western Ghor province on Saturday, May 09. Demonstrators gathered in Firozkoh, the capital of Ghor province, to complain about the perceived unfair food aid distribution during the coronavirus pandemic.
Police had opened fire after some among the around 300 protesters threw stones, started to fire guns and tried to enter a government office, the interior ministry said.
In the ensuing chaos, two policemen and four civilians died.
Local volunteer radio presenter Ahmadkhan Nawid was among those killed, according to the Afghanistan Journalists’ Centre.
Nine civilians and ten police officers were also injured, the interior ministry said.
The human rights group Amnesty International called for an independent and effective investigation into what it said was the “use of unnecessary and excessive force” that led to the killing of the civilians.
Vice-President Amrullah Saleh wrote on Facebook that the incident was “shocking” and announced that the government was “seriously investigating” it.
He also assured Afghans that no-one would miss out on the food aid being distributed to help those plunged further into poverty as a result of the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Source: BBC)