Taliban ‘beheaded 17 Afghans for dancing’

Afghan president Hamid Karzai has accused the Taliban of beheading 17 villagers, including two women, in volatile Helmand province, in a gruesome attack recalling the dark days of the hardline group’s rule before their 2001 ouster.

He ordered a full probe into the “mass killing”, which a local official said was punishment to revellers attending a party with music and mixed-sex dancing.

“This attack shows that there are irresponsible members among the Taliban,” Karzai said in a statement.