KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A bank manager was killed by unknown armed men in Kabul on Monday, the latest in a series of mysterious killings that have surged across Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Local sources identified the victim as Barkatullah Kohistani, a manager at a private bank, Afghan United Bank, in Kabul. He was attacked early in the morning in the Khairkhana neighborhood of the capital while on his way to work. The assailants stabbed him and reportedly concealed his body in a small room nearby.
Kohistani’s father reportedly located the body by tracking his son’s mobile phone. According to the sources, Kohistani was the only son in his family and the father of two young children.
The motive for the killing remains unknown, and Taliban authorities in Kabul have not yet commented.
Since the Taliban regained control, Afghanistan has seen a sharp rise in violent crime and mysterious killings. Such incidents, along with armed robberies, abductions, and targeted attacks, have fueled fear among residents and complicated daily life.
A report released in March 2026 by the UK-based human rights group Rawadari documented at least 611 cases of targeted, suspicious or extrajudicial killings and injuries across Afghanistan in 2025 — a rise of more than 40% from the previous year. The victims included former government employees, individuals accused of links to opposition groups, protesters, tribal elders and other community figures.
Taliban authorities have repeatedly claimed that they have restored order and enhanced security compared with the period before 2021. However, human rights groups and ordinary Afghans continue to criticize them for failing to protect civilians and for conducting transparent investigations into such crimes.
