KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Unidentified armed men killed a woman and her three daughters and wounded three of her sons in a nighttime attack on their home in Afghanistan’s northern Jowzjan province, local sources reported.
The incident occurred late Thursday in the “Pamp Khana” area near Sar-e-Pol port in Sheberghan, the provincial capital, according to sources who spoke with KabulNow.
Several gunmen wearing clothing similar to that of Taliban fighters entered the house and opened fire on the family, killing the mother and her three daughters at the scene. The three young sons sustained serious injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital, where they were in critical condition, the sources said.
The motive for the attack remains unclear and no group or individual has claimed responsibility. The family was described as ordinary with no known links to political or militant groups. The father, who works at an oil tank station, was not at home at the time of the incident.
Local Taliban authorities have not commented on the killings.
The incident is the latest in a reported surge of mysterious violent crimes and targeted killings across Afghanistan, many involving women and girls. A day earlier, the bodies of two young women aged 19 and 35 were found in Kabul’s 17th district, while another woman’s body was discovered in Kandahar city’s Nasaji area, according to local sources.
Over the past month, residents and local media reported multiple similar cases, including the killings of two young men and a woman in Badakhshan and Jowzjan provinces, a woman in Helmand, a mosque imam in Nangarhar, and a driver in Kandahar.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have repeatedly claimed to have restored stability and security across the country. However, residents, Afghan civil society activists, and international human rights organizations continue to voice concerns about the group’s ability to protect civilians, investigate such crimes effectively, and deliver justice for victims.
