A 20-year-old girl took her own life with a gun at her residence in Aqcha district of the northern province of Jowzjan, Local sources, and Taliban officials have confirmed.
According to information provided by local sources, the incident occurred at approximately 12:00 PM on Thursday in Taba village of Aqcha district.
Hafiz Mahiuddin, a Taliban security official, has confirmed the news and assured ongoing investigation into the incident.
Mahiuddin said the preliminary findings suggest that the girl’s suicide may have been driven by mental illness.
This incident follows another suicide tragedy in Shor Tepah village of Aqcha district, where a young girl took her own life by hanging herself in her residence last month.
Afghanistan has seen a sharp rise in suicide rates since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Women and girls are particularly at risk. Poverty, unemployment, family violence, depression, and mental illnesses are considered to be the key contributors to these incidents.
Investigative data compiled by Etilaatroz and KabulNow shows that over the past year alone, at least 213 individuals, including 110 men and 103 women, have committed suicide in 28 provinces throughout Afghanistan.
