Fears abroad for fate of Hazara minority as Taliban take control

Abdul Alizada, an Afghan-Australian, speaks with a close relative in Kabul as the Taliban continues to take control of the city in Afghanistan, from where he lives in Sydney, Australia, August 17, 2021. REUTERS/Jill Gralow

SYDNEY (Reuters) - From his home in Sydney, Abdul Alizada is watching events unfold in Afghanistan, fearful for his many relatives still living there.

He has extra cause to be afraid. Alizada's family belong to the Hazara, an ethnic minority who have for decades been targeted by militants, including the Taliban and Islamic State, for their ethnicity and religious beliefs.