Local sources have reported that an unidentified group of gunmen has killed a former local police commander in Charbolak district of the northern Balkh province.
The incident occurred on Thursday along the road between Mazar-i-Sharif and Charbolak district.
The victim, identified as Lal Mohammad Gharibzada, was a member of the Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan, a political party led by Atta Mohammad Noor, the former governor of Balkh province.
According to sources, during the previous government, Gharibzada was leading a force of approximately 300 members within the local police.
After seeking refuge in Iran following the collapse of the previous government, Gharibzada returned to Mazar-i-Sharif at the invitation of the Taliban’s “Commission of Liaison and Repatriation of Afghan Personalities.” This commission aims to facilitate the repatriation of political leaders who left Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover.
Atta Mohammad Noor has claimed that Lal Mohammad Gharibzada was killed by the Taliban.
Taliban officials in Balkh province have not yet commented on the incident.
Despite the Taliban’s claims of maintaining security across Afghanistan, the country, especially in the northern provinces, has experienced a surge in targeted and mysterious killings.
