KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local Taliban authorities say a man in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province has killed his wife and daughter and injured his son in Surkh Rod district, amid a recent rise in domestic violence in the country.
The killings took place on Sunday, May 31, in the Sheikh Misri area of Surkh Rod district, according to Sayed Tayyeb Hamad, spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Nangarhar.
Hamad said the man attacked his family members following an argument. His wife and daughter died from their injuries, while his son was wounded and is receiving medical treatment. The suspect was arrested at the scene and has confessed to the killings. An investigation is ongoing.
Afghanistan has long had one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the world, a problem that rights groups say has intensified since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
All women’s protection centers and shelters that existed under the previous government have been shut down. Access to legal recourse and institutional support for victims of abuse has been severely limited, leaving many women and girls more vulnerable.
Between January 2022 and June 2024, the human rights monitoring group Afghan Witness documented at least 840 cases of violence against women and girls, including 332 killings. Experts warn the actual figures are likely much higher, as many cases go unreported due to social stigma, fear of retaliation, and lack of access to justice.
