KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Mohammad Amin Almas, a former Afghan army battalion commander, was killed in an armed attack in Tehran on Wednesday evening, alongside General Ikramuddin Saree, the former police chief of Takhar province, sources in Iran confirmed.
According to the sources, the two men were targeted near Saree’s office in the Iranian capital at around 7:00 pm local time, in an attack carried out by unidentified gunmen. Another person was wounded in the attack.
The identities of the attackers and the motive behind the attack remain unclear. Iranian authorities have not publicly commented on the incident.
Sources said Almas, who was originally from Kapisa province, served as a battalion commander in the Afghan army during the previous government. He fled to Iran after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, joining thousands of former Afghan security personnel who left the country fearing reprisals.
General Saree, who was killed in the same attack and whose death was reported a day earlier, served as police chief of Takhar province until the fall of the previous government. After relocating to Iran, he became an outspoken critic of the Taliban, especially regarding their treatment of former Afghan security personnel.
While in Iran, Saree was also involved in supporting former Afghan soldiers, including coordinating efforts to extend residency permits to help prevent their deportation to Afghanistan, according to sources. In recent years, many former Afghan soldiers deported from Iran and Pakistan have been detained upon return, while many others have been killed in mysterious attacks across the country.
Afghan politicians, armed anti-Taliban groups, and former government officials have condemned the attack, warning that continued silence and a lack of accountability could encourage further targeting of former Afghan officials in exile. They have urged host countries to ensure the safety of those who fled Afghanistan fearing reprisals from the Taliban.
The killing of Almas and Saree comes just months after another former Afghan commander with links to ex-jihadi leader Ismail Khan was assassinated in Mashhad, Iran, raising concerns about a pattern of attacks targeting former Afghan officials in the country.
