KABUL— A man in Helmand’s Nahr-e-Siraj district shot dead his mother and two sisters and wounded his father, local sources reported.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, September 30, in Shin Bagh village after a verbal dispute between the man and his father escalated into violence. He reportedly opened fire on his father and other family members.
The Taliban have arrested the suspect on charges of murder, though authorities in Helmand have yet to comment publicly on the case.
Afghanistan has long struggled with widespread domestic abuse, a crisis that rights groups say has deepened since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Severe restrictions on women and girls, the closure of women’s shelters, and the dismantling of legal protections have left many more vulnerable to violence.
Taliban authorities have shut down all women’s protection centers that once operated under the previous government, while also dismantling judicial and institutional safeguards designed to protect victims.
Between January 2022 and June 2024, Afghan Witness, a human rights monitoring initiative, documented at least 840 cases of violence against women and girls, including 332 killings. Experts warn the real figure is likely far higher, as many incidents remain unreported due to stigma and fear of retaliation.
