KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A former Jihadi figure was gunned down by unidentified armed men in western Herat province on Monday, amid a recent rise in targeted and mysterious killings across Afghanistan.
Local sources identified the victim as Arbab Abdul Aziz, who was killed in Pashtun Zarghun district. A relative told KabulNow that Abdul Aziz was shot in his private pharmacy by two armed men, who then fled the scene on a motorcycle.
The motive behind the killing and the identity of the perpetrators remain unknown. Taliban authorities in Herat have not commented on the incident.
The killing comes amid a recent surge in mysterious and targeted attacks and violent crimes in Afghanistan, with many similar cases reported across multiple provinces in recent weeks.
The UK-based rights group Rawadari documented at least 251 cases of targeted, extrajudicial, and mysterious killings in Afghanistan over the past six months. The group said this represents a 30% increase compared to the same period last year, with many incidents linked to Taliban members or unidentified individuals.
Rights groups have criticized the Taliban for failing to protect civilians and properly investigate violent crimes, despite claims of restoring security since returning to power in 2021.
