Afghan Police Commander, 12 Other Officers Defect to Taliban

Afghan Police Commander, 12 Other Officers Defect to Taliban

Afghan Govt. Denies Claims Two Members of Peace Council Also Defected

by Jaso

Farah Province officials are expressing serious concern today after the police commander from Bala Boluk District defected to the Taliban, taking 12 other police officers and a large quantity of weaponry and military vehicles with him.
On the way out the commander, identified in reports only as Mirwais, apparently poisoned seven other police who refused to defect with him. They are still recovering in Farah hospital in the capital.
Defections are not unheard of, but in the past Afghan officials have insisted they were “infiltrators” when they joined in the first place. They are calling this defection the “first” time a large group left with so many weapons.
But officials are denying other repotrs that two members of the Afghan High Peace Council had also defected to the Taliban. In this case the defectors were not named.