KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local Taliban authorities in Kandahar province say two armed robbery suspects were killed in a clash with the group’s forces.
Asadullah Jamshid, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Kandahar Police Command, said the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon (June 28) in the fourth police district of Kandahar city, near the “Lalak Mama” building.
He said the two men were attempting to rob a trader who was transporting 120 kilograms of silver and four billion Iranian tomans in cash from the money exchange market.
Jamshid did not provide any information about the identities of the two men who were killed. So far, no independent sources have confirmed the incident.
The Taliban have previously shot and killed individuals accused of theft on multiple occasions. In some cases, members of the group have also killed Taliban opponents after accusing them of robbery.
Despite the Taliban’s repeated claims that security has improved across Afghanistan, criminal incidents, including armed robberies in urban areas, continue to occur.
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.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns over public security and law enforcement in Afghanistan. While the Taliban frequently cite improvements in nationwide security since returning to power in 2021, reports of armed robberies, targeted killings, and other criminal incidents continue to emerge from several provinces.
Human rights organizations have also raised concerns over the lack of due process in cases where individuals accused of crimes are killed before facing judicial proceedings or an independent investigation.
