KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A young man has been stabbed to death by unidentified assailants in Balkh province, northern Afghanistan, as the number of mysterious killings continues to rise across the country.
Local sources have identified the victim as Adil Rozi, who was killed on Thursday, March 20, in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province.
According to the sources, the young man was the nephew of Majid Rozi, a former military commander under the previous government, and was attacked by several individuals, succumbing to his injuries due to severe blood loss.
Local Taliban authorities have not yet commented on the killing.
The incident comes amid a rise in mysterious killings and criminal activities across Afghanistan in recent years. The country’s citizens are increasingly fearful for their safety, adding to the mounting challenges they face since the Taliban’s return to power, despite the group’s claims of ensuring security.
Data from KabulNow shows that at least 25 people, including women and young girls, were killed under mysterious circumstances across Afghanistan in February 2025.
In its 2024 annual report released on Wednesday, Rawadari, a London-based human rights group, documented the killing and injury of at least 435 people, including women and children, in targeted, mysterious, and extrajudicial attacks carried out by the Taliban or unidentified individuals. The report indicates a 1.6% increase compared to the figures from 2023.
Rights groups and activists have accused the Taliban of failing to maintain public safety and of not conducting thorough investigations into such killings.
