KABUL – Two men were shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Mandol district of eastern Nuristan province, local sources told KabulNow.
The attack took place around 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 3, in Koi Posht village.
The victims were identified as Gul Rahman and Abdul Wahab, the latter a Kabul resident who had traveled to his ancestral village for a visit.
The motive remains unclear, and the gunmen escaped after the killings.
Taliban authorities in Nuristan have not commented on the incident.
The murders come amid a rise in mysterious killings and violent crime across Afghanistan.
Rights group Rawadari recently documented at least 251 cases of targeted, extrajudicial, and unexplained killings in the past six months, marking a 30% increase compared with the same period last year. Many of the cases, it said, were linked either to Taliban members or to unidentified individuals who operate with impunity.
Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban have claimed to restore order, but citizens report a worsening reality. Security incidents, arbitrary detentions, and violent crimes continue to climb, while the regime’s severe restrictions on personal freedom, education, work, and dignity have left the population, particularly women and girls, increasingly vulnerable.
Critics argue that the Taliban have not only failed to protect civilians but have also created an atmosphere of fear, repression, and uncertainty in which violence continues to escalate daily.
