A deadly gun battle broke out in Kabul September 9, 2012
between rival ethnic groups during a traffic jam. It was between the Tajiks and
Hazaras more specifically who have a history of rivalry dating back to the
civil war in Kabul. The fight broke out during a holiday celebration that
honors the life of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Tajik commander who was assassinated
by Al Qaeda bombers. Hazaras have tension against Massoud because of a violent
brawl his forces afflicted on them in the early 1990s.
Eyewitnesses
said that the gun fight broke out when pack of Panjshiri cars hit a bicyclist
in a Hazara neighborhood. Massoud’s people marched through the neighborhood
with poster revering him and the Hazaras took that as an offensive act. Believe it or not, racial violence is uncommon
in Kabul seeing as the Hazaras and Tajiks both face the same enemy—the Taliban. The Taliban is mostly made up of Pashtuns.
Witnesses
also said that police were called to the scene and opened fire on the fighting
crowd. The number of those killed hasn’t been determined yet. When Afghan
officials are asked about the incident they either ignore the call from new
sources or downplay the extremity of the violence. One thing also the witnesses noted that the
Afghan police and the rebels. People began to burn police outposts and six
victims were taken into the hospital for gunshot wounds.
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