KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban security officials in Jawzjan province located in northern Afghanistan, say that a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Darzab district of the province.
Abdul Sattar Halimi, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Police Command in Jawzjan, said the victim was identified as Azizur Rahman and was killed by another man on Tuesday (July 7).
According to Halimi, the suspect fled to Sheberghan, the provincial capital of Jawzjan, but was later arrested by Taliban security forces.
Halimi did not provide details about the motive for the killing and said an investigation into the incident has been launched.
Cases of killings and the discovery of bodies continue to be reported from different provinces across Afghanistan on an almost daily basis.
Sources also reported on Tuesday that the body of a young man named Wahidullah, who had gone missing two days earlier, was found in the Ainomina area of Kandahar city. Kidnappings and killings have increased in Kandahar in recent months, raising widespread concern among residents.
However, the Taliban’s Directorate of Intelligence and the Kandahar Police Command have instructed local journalists in the province not to report cases involving the abduction of individuals over the age of 10, stating that such incidents are considered a security matter.
In many reported cases, Taliban authorities describe the perpetrators as “unidentified individuals” or “unknown persons,” while the motives behind the crimes remain unclear. Consequently, many killings and violent crimes remain unresolved, with the perpetrators often not identified or held accountable.
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.
