KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban intelligence agents have detained five former soldiers from Panjshir province shortly after their deportation from Iran, local sources told KabulNow, amid an ongoing crackdown on ex-security personnel.
According to the sources, the men, identified as Shir Mullah, Gulbuddin, Aleem, Jan Mohammad, and Sulaiman, were taken into custody on Thursday while travelling from Kabul to Panjshir.
All five are residents of Shatal district in Panjshir and previously served in different ranks under the former Afghan government. They reportedly went to Iran after the Taliban’s return to power, seeking work and to avoid potential retaliation.
Their current whereabouts and conditions remain unknown, and Taliban authorities have not commented.
The detentions are part of a broader pattern of targeted arrests, torture, and killings of former Afghan soldiers and officials, particularly those from Panjshir. Taliban authorities often accuse former members of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) of possessing weapons or supporting resistance groups such as the National Resistance Front (NRF) and Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF).
Similar arrests have also been reported in central Daykundi province. Local sources say Taliban agents routinely detain former soldiers returning from Iran and demand they surrender weapons or pay cash instead.
A resident of Miramur district told KabulNow that his brother, a former soldier recently deported from Iran, was arrested and held for three days before being released after paying 58,000 Afghanis (about $850) because he did not possess a weapon.
Other residents report comparable cases across the province, saying former soldiers and even their relatives have been taken into custody in recent months.
The United Nations and human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized the Taliban over alleged revenge killings, enforced disappearances, and other abuses. They continue to call on the authorities to respect the rights and safety of all Afghan citizens, including former security personnel.
