KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local Taliban officials in Nuristan and Kandahar have reported the killings of two people in these two provinces.
The Taliban police command in Nuristan said that a man was killed at around 9:00 a.m. yesterday (Tuesday, May 19) in the city of Parun, the center of this province.
Ahmad Bashir Barakzai, spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Nuristan, said that the victim was named “Mohammad Gul” and was killed in the “Ada Konar” area.
He added that Taliban forces have arrested one person in connection with the killing, and investigations are ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Taliban police command in Kandahar said that a tribal elder was killed in the Dand district of the province.
Asadullah Jamshid, spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Kandahar, said that the tribal elder was shot and killed last night by unidentified armed men in the “Kilometer Qala” area of Dand district.
He added that efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest those responsible for the killing.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, incidents of killings have significantly increased across various provinces of the country.
In many cases, the perpetrators of these killings are described as “unidentified armed men,” and the Taliban rarely report identifying or punishing those responsible.
A report released in March 2026 by Rawadari documented at least 611 cases of targeted, suspicious, or extrajudicial killings and injuries across Afghanistan in 2025, representing an increase of more than 40% compared with the previous year. According to the report, victims included former government employees, individuals accused of links to opposition groups, protesters, tribal elders, and other community figures.
While the Taliban claim to have restored security across the country, residents, civil society activists and human rights groups continue to raise concerns over the authorities’ ability to protect civilians, conduct transparent investigations and bring perpetrators to justice.
These incidents continue to raise concerns about the deteriorating security situation and the lack of accountability, as local residents increasingly fear for their safety amid ongoing violence and uncertainty across different parts of the country.
