KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Two farmers were brutally killed by armed men on Monday night in Royan village, located in the Kiti district of central Daikundi province, local sources confirmed.
The victims, identified as Wahid and Ali Mohammad, were originally from Biri village in neighboring Pato district. They had relocated to Royan about four years ago and were engaged in farming.
According to sources, the attackers entered their home claiming to be Taliban officials from the Kiti district administration. They told the victims they needed to accompany them to the district center. The armed men then took Wahid and Ali Mohammad outside, beat them, and shot them in the head.
The motive behind the killings remains unclear, though some sources suspect the attack may have been ethnically motivated.
Residents of Pato district—predominantly Hazara Shia—have increasingly faced violence and displacement since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Multiple reports have documented targeted killings and forced evictions of Hazara families in Daikundi.
In connection with Monday’s killings, Taliban authorities have reportedly arrested two residents from the villages of Hoshi and Tamran in Kiti district. However, local sources believe the actual perpetrators may have come from outside the district.
As of yet, Taliban officials in Daikundi have not commented on the incident.
