KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban forces have detained a former bodyguard of Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation during the previous government, in Panjshir province.
Local sources told KabulNow that the young man, identified as Mujeeb, was taken into custody in the Dara Abdullah Khel district of Panjshir on Friday, January 17.
According to the sources, following the collapse of the previous government and the Taliban’s return to power, Mujeeb continued to work as Dr. Abdullah’s bodyguard for several months before becoming unemployed. Since then, he had been living a civilian life in Panjshir.
The reasons behind Mujeeb’s detention remain unclear, and local Taliban authorities have yet to comment on the matter.
The arrest occurs amidst an intensifying Taliban crackdown in Panjshir province, a known stronghold for armed anti-Taliban groups. In recent months, the Taliban have detained dozens of residents in the region, accusing them of collaborating with these groups or possessing weapons.
In the past two weeks alone, reports suggest the Taliban have detained at least 21 individuals in Panjshir, including former military personnel, schoolteachers, and other young residents.
Rights organizations have criticized the Taliban’s actions in Panjshir, characterizing them as collective punishment and potential war crimes. A 2023 report by Amnesty International documented widespread abuses in the province, including unlawful detentions, torture, and extrajudicial killings.