KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban have detained three sons of General Matiullah, the former chief of police in central Uruzgan province during Afghanistan’s republic government, according to local sources familiar with the incident.
Sources named the detainees as Wahidullah, Waris, and Naveedullah, who were detained from their home in Trinkot, the provincial capital, seven days ago.
The motive for the detentions remains unclear. Sources said Taliban forces also seized a quantity of weapons and ammunition from the family’s residence during the raid.
The Taliban’s police command in Uruzgan later issued a statement confirming that weapons and ammunition had been found in the house of a former military officer and that three people had been detained in connection with the discovery. The command did not name the detainees.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have repeatedly detained former military personnel, government officials, and their relatives. Human rights groups and UN agencies have documented numerous cases of arbitrary detention, torture, and killings targeting former soldiers, often accusing them of possessing weapons or collaborating with opposition groups.
Similar incidents have been reported across the country in recent weeks. Earlier this week in Panjshir province, five former soldiers were detained shortly after being deported from Iran, according to sources. In Daykundi province last week, Taliban forces held another former soldier recently returned from Iran, who was later released after paying an amount equivalent to the value of a weapon, estimated at around $850, local sources said.
Human rights organizations have condemned such actions, calling them “acts of revenge” and violations of fundamental rights. They have urged the Taliban to respect the freedoms and safety of all citizens, including former military personnel and their families, and to refrain from extrajudicial measures.
