Afghanistan: Seven musicians killed by gunmen

The popular singer Qhurban Nazar and six musicians have been killed by gunmen in northern Afghanistan, reports BBC News

The singer Qhurban Nazar (also referred to as Qorban or Quarab) and six members of his orchestra was sprayed with bullets and killed as they were returning by car from a wedding party in north-western province Jowzjan, in the Chemtal district, on Wednesday 21 September 2005.
The bodies of Nazar and six of his colleagues were found by a shepherd the day after.

Qhurban Nazar belonged to the Turkmen ethnic group living mainly in the northern part of Afghanistan. He was a popular singer within the Turkmen population of Northern provinces such as Jawzja, Fariab, Takhar, Badakhshn, Qhunduz and Baghlan.

Police in Jowzjan blames the Taliban, which banned music and cinema under their harsh interpretation of Islam during its five years in power between 1996 and 2001. The local police official Ibrahim Sharwal denies the possibilty that the attack may have been carried out by local bandits, because none of their equipment, cell-phones or money was taken.

The Taliban have been blamed for several attacks on musicians since their 2001 overthrow by U.S.-led forces. A number of attacks on musicians have taken place in the south and east of the country, where the Taliban are based.