At least 235 residents of Mirza Olang village in Sar-e-Pul province, who were taken hostage following a coordinated attack by a group of militants, were released after mediation by local elders, the provincial governor’s office said in a statement on Tuesday.
 
“235 trapped residents in Mirza Olang village were released from Daesh and Taliban custody after four days following efforts by tribal elders under the leadership of the governor’s office,” the statement said.
 
The statement said the residents were taken to the provincial capital Sar-e-Pul city on Tuesday evening.
 
According to the statement, the Commando troops have arrived in Sar-e-Pul from air and ground and will soon clear the insecure parts of the province in Afghanistan’s north.
 
This comes few days after Taliban and Daesh fighters reportedly launched an attack on the village of Mirza Olang in the Sayyad district of northern Sar-e-Pul province killing over 50 villagers and taking hostage hundreds more.
 
The incident in Mirza Olang sparked strong reactions among Afghans over the brutality of the attack against the innocent villagers.
 
Meanwhile, families who have fled to the provincial capital, say they are living lives of misery following clashes in the area.
 
They said they have not received any assistance from the government and non-government organizations and lack access to primary needs of life.
 
Baqer, head of a six-member family, said they arrived in the center of the province bearing many hardships.
 
“A number of people are living under the open sky in this hot weather and some are living in mosques. They have nothing,” he said.
 
“We came here after leaving everything at home and now we don’t know what to do and what to eat or drink,” said Zahra, head of a displaced family.
The families said they are concerned about their relatives left behind in Mirza Olang.
 
“I saw a scene where a man was shot dead. His wife ran towards him and shouted, she was also shot dead. They even murdered our five-year-old child,” said Abdul Qader, a resident of Mirza Olang.

Official figures from local offices show that at least 300 families have been displaced in Mirza Olang in the past four days.
 
“A total of 293 families were surveyed by 11am local time today (Tuesday). They were given cash and food,” said Mohammad Zahir Wahdat, the governor of Sar-e-Pul. He said they will continue to assist the displaced families.
 
Responding to the concerns of the displaced families about the fate of their relatives, the governor said: “Through our contacts with tribal elders, they (armed men) have promised to release the people (hostages).”
 
Reports indicate that 47 girls have been taken hostage by insurgents. However, Sar-e-Pul governor has not confirmed or denied the reports.
 
Sar-e-Pul residents said at least 150 families remain trapped in Mirza Olang village following the attack by Taliban and Daesh militants.
 
On Tuesday, President Ashraf Ghani condemned the Mirza Olang incident and called it a crime against Afghan civilians.
 
He stressed the need take revenge against those who shot the residents of the village.