The Taliban gave "permission" Friday for a Swedish aid group to reopen its clinics west of Kabul, after the insurgents ordered the facilities' closure over a controversial Afghan army raid. Afghan officials have said little about the raid in Wardak province the night of July 8-9, when commandos allegedly killed at least four people including a lab worker, a guard, and two caregivers.
In the wake of the assault on the clinic, run by the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, the Taliban ordered the agency to close 42 of its 77 facilities. In a statement, the insurgents had said the closure was ordered due to "some problems" and that the Swedish aid group "did not remain impartial".
The Taliban went on to blame the raid on both Afghan and US forces. The group reversed its decision Friday, saying their "health commission has given them permission restart their operations".
The SCA had condemned the clinic raid through a press release, calling it a gross violation of international humanitarian law.
The group said it had immediately begun re-opening clinics and asking staff to report for work. The US military has declined to comment on the incident, referring a query to the Afghan defence ministry.