“When ye meet the unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks…” — Qur’an 47:4
But these were not unbelievers, they were fellow Muslims! Yes, but since they were working for the Afghan police, they were considered apostates or heretics, and thus fair game.
“NATO: Insurgents Behead 6 Police in Afghanistan,” from VOA News, July 21 (thanks to Timothy Furnish):
NATO forces in Afghanistan say militants have beheaded six Afghan police officers in northern Baghlan province.
A NATO statement said the killings occurred late Tuesday during an insurgent attack on a school, clinic and local government building. The statement said police successfully repelled the assault, but that during the attack, insurgents overran a police checkpoint and killed the officers. The alliance condemned the incident as “brutal” and “barbaric.”…