KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A teenager from Panjshir province was killed by unidentified armed assailants in Kabul city on Wednesday, underscoring a troubling rise in violent crime and mysterious killings in the country.
Local sources told KabulNow that the victim, identified as Sahel, was attacked along with his younger brother in the Khair Khana neighborhood of Kabul. The gunmen opened fire, killing Sahel on the spot and leaving his brother with serious injuries.
Relatives of the victim confirmed the attack and said the Taliban had arrested seven people in connection with the incident.
The motive remains unclear, and Taliban authorities have not commented.
The killing comes amid a rise in mysterious killings and violent crime across Afghanistan.
On the same day, two men were shot dead by unknown attackers in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. The victims were identified as Gul Rahman and Abdul Wahab. Their killers remain unidentified, and the motive is unknown.
Rights group Rawadari recently documented at least 251 targeted and unexplained killings over the past six months, a 30% increase compared with the same period last year. Many of the cases, the group said, were linked to Taliban members or unidentified armed individuals operating with impunity.
The rise in such cases has fueled growing fears among Afghans about worsening security, despite Taliban claims of restoring order since their return to power in 2021.
