Kabul killings highlight rising drug addiction in Afghanistan

Nine people were killed last week by unknown gunmen in Afghan capital but residents deny they were drug addicts.Kabul, Afghanistan - For the residents of Qalai Muslim, a small mountainside community on the edges of the capital city of Kabul, the evening of February 15 began like any other.As the sun set and the cold winter air filled the mud and brick homes that line the neighbourhood's unpaved roads, the residents closed their shops and prepared for dinner.But, within hours of sunset, the silence was broken by the sound of police cars speeding towards a small field near the top of the mountains.Residents rushed out of their homes to see what had transpired in their little corner of Kabul. They all had jobs," said Hamid, a local store owner.Rather than faceless addicts, who are often depicted as thieves and grifters, area residents described the victims as family men, students and even a government worker.The media reports of the slayings of drug addicts by unknown gunmen led to a litany of rumours and conspiracies across the city.