Report: Taliban killed minorities, fueling Afghans' fears

Amnesty International says Taliban fighters recently tortured and killed members of an ethnic minority in Afghanistan, fueling fears that they will again impose a brutal rule

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Taliban fighters tortured and killed members of an ethnic minority in Afghanistan after recently overrunning their village, Amnesty International said, fueling fears that they will again impose a brutal rule, even as they urged imams to push a message of unity at the first gathering for Friday prayers since the capital was seized. Terrified that the new de facto rulers would commit such abuses, thousands have raced to Kabul's airport desperate to flee following the Taliban's stunning blitz through the country. Others have taken to the streets to protest the takeover — acts of defiance that Taliban fighters have violently suppressed. The Taliban have sought to project moderation and have pledged to restore security and forgive those who fought them in the 20 years since a U.S.-led invasion. Ahead of Friday prayers, leaders urged to imams to use sermons to appeal for unity, urge people not to flee the country, and to counter “negative propaganda” about them. But many Afghans are skeptical, and the Amnesty report provided more evidence that undercut the Taliban's claims they have changed.