KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The body of a young boy has been discovered in eastern Kunar province, two days after he was abducted, local sources informed KabulNow.
The victim, identified as Owais, was kidnapped on Sunday in the Nari district and found dead on Tuesday in the same area, the sources said, adding that his body showed signs of severe torture and appeared to have been killed with stones.
Owais, who was believed to be around 10 years old, had been helping his family by selling cooked rice in the local market. He was taken while at work, the sources said. His father works as a bicycle repairman in the district.
The motive for the killing remains unclear, and the identity of the perpetrators is still unknown.
Local Taliban authorities have not commented on the incident.
The discovery comes amid a recent surge in mysterious killings, kidnappings, and violent crime across Afghanistan. Similar cases have been reported in several provinces in recent weeks.
In its latest report, UK-based Afghan rights group Rawadari documented at least 251 cases of mysterious, targeted, and extrajudicial killings in the past six months — a 30% increase compared to the same period last year. Many incidents have been linked to Taliban members or unidentified armed men, the group said.
The surge in violence has fueled growing fears about security in Afghanistan, despite Taliban claims of restoring stability since their return to power in 2021.
