KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban forces have killed a former soldier in northern Faryab province and detained another in Kabul, days after both were deported from Iran, local sources said, highlighting ongoing threats to former Afghan security personnel despite the group’s declared “general amnesty.”
Sources in Faryab told KabulNow that the former soldier, identified as Joraqul, was shot dead on Friday in the Koliyan market of Belcheragh district by the bodyguard of Sedaqat, a Taliban army battalion commander. Joraqul had served in the army of the previous government and fled to Iran after the Taliban returned to power, before being deported back to Afghanistan two weeks ago.
In Kabul, sources reported that Taliban intelligence agents detained a former army commando named Azimullah on Saturday. Originally from Panjshir province, he had also been living in Iran before being deported. His current whereabouts are unknown, and the reason for his detention has not been disclosed.
The Taliban authorities have not commented on either incident.
Since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban has detained hundreds of former soldiers and, in some cases, killed them, despite announcing a nationwide general amnesty. Detentions have increased in recent months, particularly among those returning or deported from neighboring countries, especially Iran.
Former Afghan security personnel have also been targeted in neighboring countries. Earlier this week, two former officials, General Ikramuddin Saree, ex-police chief of Takhar province, and Mohammad Amin Almas, a former commander, were killed in Tehran. The perpetrators remain unidentified.
In its latest quarterly report, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) recorded at least 14 killings and 21 cases of arbitrary detention of former soldiers and officials by the Taliban between July and September 2025. The report also noted that Taliban forces targeted returnees from Iran, including several former security personnel detained in Faryab province in late September.
The UN and international human rights groups have repeatedly urged the Taliban to honour their amnesty pledge and protect the rights of all Afghans, including former soldiers and their families.
