fieldwork for this study. JM is in receipt of a scholarship from the Special Programme on Training in Research in Tropical Diseases (TDR). PK was partly funded by a Career Development Award from Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council. AZ was formerly based in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, and convenor of the Global Health\@UNSW. He was also one of the Principals associated with the AusAID-funded Human Resources for Health Knowledge Hub. He is now based at Faculty of Social Science and Arts, UNSW.
The loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group in Afghanistan have beheaded seven hostages including two women, four men and a child in southern Zabul province of Afghanistan.

According to the local government officials, the victims were hostages who were kidnapped by the loyalists of the terror group from Gilan district of southeastern Ghazni province.

The provincial police chief Jilani Farahi confirmed the dead bodies of the deceased individuals were left in Khak-e-Afghan district on Sunday.

He said the dead bodies were transferred to the district hospital in Shahjoi with the help of the local tribal elders.

The head of the provincial council Ata Jan Haq Parast also confirmed that the abducted passengers, including the women were brutally killed by the militants.

In the meantime, another official in