A number of people were killed and injured in 'demonstration and clashes' in Behsud, Maidan Wardak

Sarwar Danesh, the second vice president of Afghanistan said; today's demonstration in Behsud area of ​​Maidan Wardak had turned into violent due to "a number of compatriots being killed and injured."

Mr. Danesh wrote on his Facebook page that "a delegation with the authority to investigate the incident" will be sent to the region soon, he wants from the locals to "prevent further violence and."

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said "security forces have been in the area for several days now to introduce police commanders in Behsud and strengthen police checkpoints in this province."

"But gunmen affiliated with Commander Alipour prevented from presence and activity of security forces and police in this area, and today a number of these people shot at police and people," he said. According to the spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, as a result of the clash between these people and security forces, "9 gunmen of Alipour were killed and 7 others, a number of security forces and 5 local people were wounded, ."

According to Mr. Arian, this people "surrounded the Behsud district provincial building in the name of protest and a number of locals were abused during the protests. Police arrested 68 gunmen in connection with the attack."

But Mehdi Rasekh, a representative of Maidan Wardak province in the Afghanistan House of Representatives, wrote on his Facebook page that the government "fired on civilians in Behsud." "Security forces, under the command of the Maidan Wardak police commander, fired on protesters, elders and cultural activists, leaving a number of wounded on the street and the elders being held hostage inside a hotel and mosque," she wrote.

Who is Alipour?

Abdul Ghani Alipour is a local commander in the Hazara region in Behsud who has been accused by security agencies of carrying out armed activities and "disrupting security" in the Behsud region. But he and his supporters have said the focus is on "resisting ISIS and the Taliban and taking the Hazara citizens of the region hostage."

Mr. Alipour was arrested by security forces in Kabul in 2018, sparking hundreds of protests in Kabul, and was released in accordance with his commitments to the Afghan government.

But in recent months, with the spread of Taliban fighting in the region, there have been reports that the activities of Commander Alipour and his affiliated gunmen have increased.

There are unconfirmed reports that security forces went to Behsud to detain him again, and today's clash was the result of opposition from locals and Mr. Alipour's supporters.