No army soldiers involved in video killings says Pakistan army

At a time when the Pakistani army is enjoying great support and popularity amid the country’s public, an amateur video clip claiming to show soldiers gunning down blindfolded young men has been labelled fake by the military.

It is unknown when the video was made or who it was filmed by, but shows several young men wearing blindfolds lined up and fired upon by men in army uniforms.

The video may be from the 2009 government offensive against the Taliban in Swat Valley, but this cannot be confirmed.

The military, meanwhile, has condemned the footage.

“No Pakistani Army soldier or officer has been involved in activity of this sort,” said Maj Gen Athar Abbas, a spokesperson for the Pakistani Army.

Human rights groups that have previously accused the army of extra-judicial killings have told the BBC they cannot confirm the authenticity of the footage.

The United States, which has had its own problems with allegations of human rights abuses by soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, some of whom were accused of killing civilians for sport, said the footage was “concerning” and will discuss it with the Pakistani government.

The army has promised to investigate and take action, but Human Rights Watch claim previous reports of human rights abuses receive little attention.

The army is enjoying widespread support for its rescue efforts during the devastating floods that have ravaged over a fifth of the country.