KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A five-year-old girl has been found dead in Herat province, western Afghanistan, amid an increasing number of mysterious killings across the country in recent months.
Local sources say the girl, named Halina, had been missing for several days before her body was found in the Rabat Sangi district on Tuesday.
The circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear.
Taliban authorities in the area have confirmed the incident, saying two individuals—a man and a woman—have been arrested in connection with the case.
The killing comes as similar incidents have been reported in other parts of Afghanistan. In the southern province of Kandahar, two men were found dead in separate incidents earlier this week.
According to local sources, a 25-year-old man named Bilal was shot dead by unidentified armed men in Kandahar city on Tuesday night. On Monday, another man, 35-year-old Mohammad Nabi, was killed near his home in Arghandab district.
The motive behind both incidents remains unclear, and the perpetrators have not been identified. Local Taliban authorities have yet to comment.
The wave of mysterious killings has heightened concerns over public safety. While the Taliban continues to claim they have restored nationwide security since returning to power, recent incidents suggest otherwise.
In February alone, at least 25 people—including women and young girls—were mysteriously killed across Afghanistan, according to figures compiled by KabulNow.
Human rights groups and activists have criticized the Taliban for failing to protect civilians and conduct transparent investigations into these killings.
