Taliban terrorists shot and killed 43 civilians and security forces members in a district in Afghanistan's Ghazni, local media reported citing residents. Similar occurrences have been reported in other areas as well, ToloNews reported. Among those killed were two young men whose father said they were killed while leaving the area with their families and that they were not government employees or security force members.

'Taliban terrorists after entering Malistan district committed war crimes and killed civilians who were not involved in the fighting. They attacked people's homes and after looting their property, they burned residential houses', said Mina Naderi, a civil society activist from Ghazni who read a joint statement from Malistan residents at a press conference in Kabul on Sunday.

'In the centre of Malistan district, they (Taliban) also destroyed and looted shops', she added. This comes amid an ongoing offensive by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Recently it was reported that a group of gunmen killed 'over 100 civilians' in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province.

The Afghan Interior Ministry confirmed the report, blaming the Taliban for the 'murder of civilians.' 'The brutal terrorists on the order of their Punjabi bosses (Pakistan) ambushed the homes of the innocent Afghans in certain areas of Spin Boldak, looted the homes and martyred 100 innocent people', said Mirwais Stanekzai, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior.

In recent weeks, the Taliban have carried out deadly attacks against Afghan forces and civilians. Since May, the terror group has taken control of crucial border crossings with Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. The Taliban now claim to control about half of the country's roughly 400 districts. However, verifying such claims is difficult.