Afghan Biographies

Azizullah Kamran killed


Name Azizullah Kamran killed
Ethnic backgr. Tajik
Date of birth 1980
Function/Grade Paktika Warlord Afghan Guard Force ASG
History and Biodata

3. Biodata:
azizullah_commander_paktikaAzizullah Karwan Aziz Karwan was born 1980 in Urgun District. The head of Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission Nader Nadery has urged Hamid Karzai's government and Nato to investigate allegations that the Afghan strongman Commander Azizullah in Paktika Province, who is employed by United States Army Special Forces embarked on a spate of war crimes, including rape, the summary execution of children, and torture (20110323).

The Independent (London) published claims made by a number of independent witnesses – and backed up by several leaked reports including two drafted by UN officials – that Commander Azizullah had exploited his patronage by US Special Forces to wage a campaign of violence against civilians he suspected of sympathising with, or harbouring, the Taliban.

Although a Nato spokesman said the coalition had looked into the allegations 2010 and found nothing, human rights experts say the security force is too often willing to brush aside claims of rights abuses.

Commander Azizullah's relationship with US Special Forces began in 2001 when he was hired as a mercenary to protect a Special Forces base in Paktika, and by 2007 he had become a commander of some sway. Battlefield reporting published by WikiLeaks noted that he acted with a degree of autonomy, contradicting his own claims.

Azizullah who hails from Paktika Province is operating together with US Special Operations Forces – CIA, Army or Navy is not clear - in the triangle of his hometown Urgun, Barmal and Sarobi, based in Forward Operations Base Shkin south of Barmal and close to the Pakistani border  and has ‘launched a two-year spate of violence involving burglary, rape and murder of civilians, desecration of mosques and mutilation of corpses’. Azizullah’s unit is labelled ‘Afghan Security Guard(s)’ (ASG), a term well-known in the areas – sometimes slightly differently called ‘Afghan Guard Force’ (AGF).

A Pashtun cleric said that friction between the Tajik and Pashtun communities in eastern Paktika province, where Azizullah operates, had never been so high.

A Western contractor with first-hand knowledge of the area said: "Tajiks... say the guy is a national hero. [However] they also say, 'We'll pay for that'. If the coalition leaves they'll have to leave too. They disapprove of his actions. If you send a Tajik as sheriff to a Pashtun area you're bound to fail. It's a very ethnically polarised area."

A Human Right Watch (HRW) report, released March 3, 2015 profiles of "strongmen" linked to police, intelligence, and militia forces responsible for serious abuses in recent years. Among them is Commander Azizullah from the Urgun district in Paktika Province. (20150304)

Commander Azizullah of the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) and six other soldiers were injured following a landmine explosion in southeastern Paktika province. Azizullah Karwan has been wounded in similar Taliban attacks in the past where he sustained light injuries. (20150517)

Afghan officials say an unknown gunman shot and killed Azizullah as he picnicked with his family in Kabul. Interior Ministry spokesman Najb Danish said tcommander Azizullah Karwan had led dozens of anti-Taliban operations. He was killed Thursday night June 28, 2018 in Kabul and had reportedly survived several previous assassination attempts.(20180629)

Last Modified 2018-06-29
Established 2011-03-23