Arrest of two women in southern Helmand province by foreign forces has provoked outrage as residents staged protest, warning the government of severe consequences if the arrestees are not immediately released.
Residents claimed that foreign forces raided a house killing two men and a woman while arresting two other women three days back.
In a video went viral on the internet, a tribal elder speaking with the provincial governor on the phone warning him that situation can get out of hand if their demand is not met.
The provincial government’s media office in a statement said the two women were arrested during an operation which was conducted in Malgir area of Greshk district.
The statement further added that two operatives of Al Qaeda network were killed during the same operation while four others including two women were arrested.
A group of local tribal elders on Monday met with provincial governor Mohammad Yasin Khan to negotiate the release of the two women, warning that the apprehension of the women have sparked furor among the residents of Malgir in Greshk district.
Governor Yasin Khan told the visiting tribal elders that the women were arrested on charges of having membership of Al Qaeda network and were arrested based on intelligence information, the provincial government added.
In the meantime, Yasin Khan said the demands of the local residents have been shared with the officials in Kabul, promising that the women will be released considering the cultural values of people but the two men will be kept in the custody for further investigations.
