KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A man shot and killed his wife in Laghman province, eastern Afghanistan, amid a recent surge in domestic violence across the country.
Local sources told KabulNow that the incident took place on Friday night, September 19, in Mehtarlam city, the provincial capital.
According to local sources, the man first physically assaulted his wife before fatally shooting her and then fled the scene. Local sources described the motive as domestic violence and noted that the man was addicted to drugs.
Taliban authorities in Laghman have confirmed the incident and said they are investigating the case.
Afghanistan has long struggled with high levels of domestic abuse, but human rights groups say the situation has worsened since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Severe restrictions on women and girls, the closure of support centers, and the dismantling of legal protections have left many women vulnerable.
Taliban authorities have shuttered all women’s protection centers established under the previous government and dismantled legal and institutional frameworks that once offered safety and justice.
Between January 2022 and June 2024, Afghan Witness, a human rights monitoring project, recorded at least 840 cases of violence against women and girls, including 332 deaths. Experts say the number of cases is likely higher, as many incidents go unreported due to fear of retaliation or social stigma.
