Fifteen Afghan civilians and 10 commandos sent to reinforce Shi'ite militia forces fighting Taliban in the central province of Ghazni were killed on Sunday, officials said, as a days-long battle with threatening ethnic overtones continued.

The fighting in Jaghori district, an area inhabited mainly by Shi'ite ethnic Hazaras, has been going on since Wednesday, when Taliban fighters attacked the district and the government sent special forces units to back up local militia forces.

Police spokesman Ahmad Khan Sirat said six members of the security forces were wounded in addition to the 25 civilians and commandos who were killed.

The fighting took place as US&nbsp;special envoy Zakmay Khalilzad prepared for a fresh round of meetings aimed at bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table to try to find a political settlement to the decades-long war in Afghanistan.

Although Afghanistan has traditionally not suffered from the sectarian violence that has scarred Iraq or Syria, suicide attacks on Shi'ite targets in recent years have caused deepening anger among Hazaras, a mainly Shi'ite minority.

The Taliban, a movement dominated by Sunni Muslim ethnic Pashtuns, does not have any openly sectarian agenda and deny targeting Shi'ites but many Hazaras have blamed Pashtuns for the attacks on mosques and cultural centres.

Angered by what many see as official indifference, Hazaras have formed militia groups of their own, fuelling concern among some officials and Western diplomats at the potential for an upsurge in ethnic, sectarian violence.

Disputes over the balance of representation between Hazaras and Pashtuns, the two largest groups in Ghazni, led to the postponement of last month's parliamentary election in the province.

On the other side of the country, in the northern province of Baghlan, at least 14 members of the Afghan security forces and civilians were killed and eight others were injured in Taliban attacks, provincial governor Abdulhai Nemati said.

A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid in statements said killed 36 Afghan security forces and captured one military base five security checkpoints in Ghazni and Baghlan provinces.

Fifteen Afghan civilians and 10 commandos sent to reinforce Shi'ite militia forces fighting Taliban in the central province of Ghazni were killed on Sunday, officials said, as a days-long battle with threatening ethnic overtones continued.

Fifteen Afghan civilians and 10 commandos sent to reinforce Shi'ite militia forces fighting Taliban in the central province of Ghazni were killed on Sunday, officials said, as a days-long battle with threatening ethnic overtones continued. The fighting in Jaghori district, an area inhabited mainly by Shi'ite ethnic Hazaras, has been going on since Wednesday, when Taliban fighters attacked the district and the government sent special forces units to back up local militia forces. Police spokesman Ahmad Khan Sirat said six members of the security forces were wounded in addition to the 25 civilians and commandos who were killed. The fighting took place as US special envoy Zakmay Khalilzad prepared for a fresh round of meetings aimed at bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table to try to find a political settlement to the decades-long war in Afghanistan. Although Afghanistan has traditionally not suffered from the sectarian violence that has scarred Iraq or Syria, suicide attacks on Shi'ite targets in recent years have caused deepening anger among Hazaras, a mainly Shi'ite minority. The Taliban, a movement dominated by Sunni Muslim ethnic Pashtuns, does not have any openly sectarian agenda and deny targeting Shi'ites but many Hazaras have blamed Pashtuns for the attacks on mosques and cultural centres. Angered by what many see as official indifference, Hazaras have formed militia groups of their own, fuelling concern among some officials and Western diplomats at the potential for an upsurge in ethnic, sectarian violence. Disputes over the balance of representation between Hazaras and Pashtuns, the two largest groups in Ghazni, led to the postponement of last month's parliamentary election in the province. On the other side of the country, in the northern province of Baghlan, at least 14 members of the Afghan security forces and civilians were killed and eight others were injured in Taliban attacks, provincial governor Abdulhai Nemati said. A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid in statements said killed 36 Afghan security forces and captured one military base five security checkpoints in Ghazni and Baghlan provinces.

Dozens killed in Afghanistan fighting as sectarian threat grows

Amnesty International today condemned the hanging in Iraq of 36 men convicted of a mass killing of soldiers, saying some of their confessions were extorted under threats and torture. 
 
The watchdog called on the Iraqi authorities to establish a moratorium on executions and to hold &quot;fair and transparent&quot; trials for those accused of involvement in the massacre. The hangings were carried out yesterday, at a prison in southern Iraq, state television said. 
 
Those executed were convicted in the deaths of as many as 1,700 soldiers, mostly Shi&#39;ites, two years ago. The soldiers were killed after they fled from Camp Speicher, a former US military base just north of Saddam Hussein&#39;s home town of Tikrit, when it was overrun by Islamic State, the ultra-hardline Sunni group, in 2014. 
 
US-backed Iraqi government forces and Iranian-supported Shi&#39;ite militias recaptured the region last year. 
 
&quot;One of the men executed &#39;confessed&#39; to killing 60 cadets at Speicher after receiving threats that his wife and sisters would be raped. He was also beaten with cables and given electric shocks,&quot; Amnesty said. 
 
&quot;Even though he recanted this &#39;confession&#39; in court, according to lawyers, it was used to justify its verdict&quot;. 
 
The government came under increased pressure from local Shi&#39;ite politicians to execute militants sentenced to death after a massive bombing that targeted a shopping street in Baghdad on July 3, killing at least 324 people. 
 
Claimed by Islamic State, the truck bomb that blew up in the Karrada district was the deadliest since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. 
 
Justice minister Haidar al-Zamili on Sunday expected more executions to be carried out, dismissing UN and human rights groups concern over the fairness of the trials.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

The watchdog called on Iraqi authorities to hold 'fair and transparent' trials for those accused of a mass killing of soldiers

Amnesty International today condemned the hanging in Iraq of 36 men convicted of a mass killing of soldiers, saying some of their confessions were extorted under threats and torture. The watchdog called on the Iraqi authorities to establish a moratorium on executions and to hold "fair and transparent" trials for those accused of involvement in the massacre. The hangings were carried out yesterday, at a prison in southern Iraq, state television said. Those executed were convicted in the deaths of as many as 1,700 soldiers, mostly Shi'ites, two years ago. The soldiers were killed after they fled from Camp Speicher, a former US military base just north of Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit, when it was overrun by Islamic State, the ultra-hardline Sunni group, in 2014. US-backed Iraqi government forces and Iranian-supported Shi'ite militias recaptured the region last year. "One of the men executed 'confessed' to killing 60 cadets at Speicher after receiving threats that his wife and sisters would be raped. He was also beaten with cables and given electric shocks," Amnesty said. "Even though he recanted this 'confession' in court, according to lawyers, it was used to justify its verdict". The government came under increased pressure from local Shi'ite politicians to execute militants sentenced to death after a massive bombing that targeted a shopping street in Baghdad on July 3, killing at least 324 people. Claimed by Islamic State, the truck bomb that blew up in the Karrada district was the deadliest since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Justice minister Haidar al-Zamili on Sunday expected more executions to be carried out, dismissing UN and human rights groups concern over the fairness of the trials. (Reuters)

Amnesty condemns hanging in Iraq, says confessions were extorted

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Dozens killed in Afghanistan fighting as sectarian threat grows

Amnesty condemns hanging in Iraq, says confessions were extorted