KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The bodies of two Afghan men have been found in separate incidents in the eastern and western provinces of Afghanistan, raising renewed concerns over security and unexplained killings under Taliban rule.
In Khost province, Taliban officials say the body of a former member of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) has been discovered eight months after his killing. The victim, identified only as Javid, was reportedly a member of the former government’s rapid response unit.
According to a statement released on Monday (January 26), by Mostaghfar Garbaz, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Khost, the body was found in the Motun Gangina area of Khost city. He said Javid had allegedly been killed in a mysterious incident by his maternal uncles and cousins and was secretly buried inside his home with what he described as “high-level skill”.
Taliban intelligence forces reportedly located the body following a complaint filed by the victim’s family. The remains were exhumed and handed over to the family. Taliban authorities say three suspects have been arrested and will be transferred to judicial bodies after preliminary investigations.
Meanwhile, in Herat province, local sources report that a 27-year-old man has been killed, allegedly by his own friends. The victim, Faiz Ahmad Fazli, was reportedly shot dead on Friday (January 23), while returning from a recreational trip to Pashdan Dam, west of Herat city.
Sources say Fazli had gone to the dam with friends for leisure but was killed on the way back. Taliban officials have arrested his friends on suspicion of murder, and investigations are ongoing. The motive behind the killing remains unclear, and Taliban authorities have not issued an official comment.
According to local information, Fazli was originally from Maldan village in Injil district of Herat. He is survived by a three-year-old son and a six-month-old daughter.
In recent weeks, several killings’ cases have been reported in Herat, including the discovery of a young man’s body in District 13 of Herat city after he had been missing for a week.
These incidents come despite repeated claims by the Taliban that they have ensured nationwide security since regaining control of Afghanistan in August 2021. However, reports of mysterious and targeted killings continue to surface across the country.
