Afghan Special Security Forces partnering with local police, rescued Taliban hostage Salal Khan during an operation in Bermal district, Paktika province, Afghanistan, Dec. 18, 2017.
Mr. Khan, a village elder, was imprisoned by the Taliban for refusing to collect “zakat,” which is an illegal tax imposed by the insurgent organization used to fund narcotics, IEDs and other nefarious activities. He reported being forced to fly Taliban flags against his will and was ordered, as an elder, to pay a $1 million tax “that no one can afford.”
Once released, Mr. Khan, along with members of the Paktika Police Special Unit held a press conference at a nearby base in Sharana district. Mr. Khan described his captivity to local media and urged other Afghan village elders to stand up to the Taliban. He asked them to join together to support the government in order to degrade the Talban and Haqqani network presence in Paktika province.
Mr. Khan is the second high-profile rescue recently undertaken since the Nov. 19 night raid in southern Helmand province that liberated more than 15 Taliban prisoners, many of whom were arrested for simply having family members in the Afghan Army or police.