KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A 13-year-old child has been shot and killed in the northwestern Badghis province, according to local sources.
The incident took place on February 4 in the village of Gonbad Shah Ghiasuddin in the Qadis district.
The motive behind the murder remains unclear, and the identity of the perpetrators is still unknown.
Local Taliban officials in Badghis have yet to comment on the matter.
This killing adds to a troubling rise in mysterious murders and criminal activity across Afghanistan in recent years.
Citizens are increasingly concerned about their safety and security, compounding the challenges they face since the Taliban’s return to power.
A recent report by Rawadari, a London-based human rights group, documented 193 cases of killings and injuries in targeted, mysterious, and extrajudicial attacks over a six-month period. The victims included 181 men, 9 women, and 3 children.
However, the actual number is believed to be much higher, as rights groups cannot document all incidents due to the atmosphere of fear imposed by the Taliban, who pressure victims’ families to conceal such information.
“The Taliban have consistently attributed the targeted, suspicious, and extrajudicial killings to unknown armed individuals and have assured the victims’ families of legal redress and accountability. However, over the past three years, they have failed to provide any information about their progress on arrests of perpetuators or delivery of justice,” Rawadari said.
