As many as 22 Afghan commandos were massacred in cold blood by Taliban fighters in Afghanistan’s Faryab province. The soldiers were killed even after they had peacefully surrendered.

According to a purported video retrieved by CNN, someone can be heard yelling: “Surrender, commandos, surrender”. The call is followed by nearly two dozen members of an Afghan Special Forces unit coming out of a building unarmed.

As soon as they are lined up in the street, gunfire erupts for barely 5-7 seconds and all the commandos can be seen lying dead on the ground.

The cold-blooded killings took place on June 16 in the town of Dawlat Abad in Faryab province, close to Afghanistan’s border with Turkmenistan.

CNN claims the video has been verified by talking to several eyewitnessed.

According to a witness, after a fierce battle to hold the Dawlat Abad town last month, the Afghan commandos had run out of ammunition and were surrounded by the Taliban fighters.

It was then that they were asked to surrender and as soon as they laid down their weapons, they were butchered in the middle of the street, added the witness.

The Red Cross confirmed the bodies of 22 commandos were retrieved.

The Taliban told CNN the videos showing the commandos being shot were fake and government propaganda to encourage people not to surrender. A Taliban spokesman said they were still holding 24 commandos who had been captured in Faryab province but provided no evidence.

The Afghan Ministry of Defense denied the Taliban was holding the commandos and told CNN they were killed