Officials in Afghanistan said Wednesday that gunmen killed more than 25 people in a rural area in the central province of Ghor. The victims were among a group of 33 people seized by the gunman. Local officials, including the governor of Ghor, said the attackers are former Taliban fighters now loyal to the Islamic State (IS) militant group. The officials expressed special concern because this is the first report of IS activity in the area. They also said they believe the attack was in answer to the killing of two local commanders of the militants. The Taliban denied any involvement in the attack. A Ghor government spokesman told VOA that the victims were collecting wood for winter when IS gunmen captured them. He said the gunmen executed the hostages while Afghan security forces were trying to rescue them with the help of local civilians. Amnesty International called it “a horrendous crime.”
