US indicts ex-Taliban commander in custody with killing American troops in 2008

The United States federal grand jury on Thursday unsealed a superseding indictment charging ex-Taliban commander, Haji Najibullah of alleged involvement in the 2008 attack on American troops that killed 3 soldiers and an Afghan interpreter.

Najibullah, who is already in US federal custody under charges of kidnapping of an American journalist, has now been booked for murder and terrorism-related offenses spanning approximately from 2007 to 2009 and stemming from his role as a Taliban commander in Afghanistan, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said in a statement.

45-year-old Afghan national, Haji Najibullah, aka Najibullah Naim "allegedly served as a Taliban commander in 2007 and 2008, is charged with numerous terrorism offenses relating to attacks against the U.S. military in Afghanistan, including an attack that killed three U.S. service members, (Matthew L. Hilton, Joseph A. McKay, and Mark Palmateer) and others relating to taking an American journalist hostage in Afghanistan,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Lesko for the Justice Department’s National Security Division said in a statement. In addition, Najibullah has also been booked for alleged involvement in the October 27, 2008 attack that resulted in the shooting down of a US military helicopter, the statement added.

“As alleged, during one of the most dangerous periods of the conflict in Afghanistan, Haji Najibullah led a vicious band of Taliban insurgents who terrorized part of Afghanistan and attacked U.S. troops,” said U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss for the Southern District of New York.

Najibullah led thousand Taliban fighters in 2007: Court documents

As per the court documents, Najibullah commanded over 1000 Taliban soldiers in 2007. He was responsible for the Jaghato district in Afghanistan's Wardak Province. During the time he also played the role of the outfit's spokesperson. He was allegedly involved in co-ordinated attacks on NATO Troops and their Allies by using automatic weapons, improvised explosives devices (IEDs), rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank weapons, the DoJ said in a press release. He also "conspired and supplied" materials for acts of terrorism resulting in death by murder, kidnapping, mass destruction, hostage-taking, the statement added.

Najibullah was arrested on October 27, 2020, and extradited from Ukraine to the US and has been charged in a 13-count indictment. "Counts one through five and nine through 13 each carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. Counts six through eight each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. Count five also carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors," the DoJ statement said. Investigations into him are still underway by the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Image: AP/ PIXABAY (representative)