Gunmen claiming to be Taliban shoot up a wedding in Afghanistan to stop them from playing music, killing at least 2 guests, say reports

• Gunmen claiming to be Taliban fighters opened fire at a wedding in Nangarhar, Afghanistan.
• The attackers reportedly took issue with the wedding party playing music, killing guests, and breaking instruments.
• During the Taliban’s first rule, music was deemed un-Islamic and banned.

At least two people have been killed and ten injured after gunmen introducing themselves as Taliban opened fire at a wedding in western Afghanistan, according to local news outlet TOLO News.

The incident reportedly took place after the attackers objected to music being played at the wedding.

“I told them that they are young, let them play the music, but they dragged me back and opened fire, some of the boys were wounded and two others were killed,” Noor Hazrat, a family member of the victims, told TOLO News.

The family said they believed that the men came from a local checkpoint in the Marghondai village in the province of Nangarhar.

A witness also told the outlet that the attackers broke musical instruments.

“It was nearly midnight. Three people entered the house. One of them broke the musical instruments and then went out and then opened fire on approximately 50 people,” Bassir said.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the attackers were not linked to the group, and were acting on a “personal feud,” The Guardian reported.

“Last night, at the wedding of Haji Malang Jan in Shamspur Mar Ghundi village of Nangarhar, three people who introduced themselves as Taliban entered the proceedings and [asked] that the music stop playing,” Mujahid said, according to the paper.

“Two suspects have been taken into custody by the Taliban in connection with the incident and one who escaped is still being pursued,” he said.

“The perpetrators of the incident caught, who have used the name of the Islamic Emirate to carry out their personal feud, have been handed over to face Sharia law.”

During the Taliban’s first rule, the group banned music, deeming it un-Islamic. Although they are yet to implement a ban this time, Zabihullah Mujahid has said the group hopes to “persuade people” not to perform music.