KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A prominent tribal elder and his nephew were shot dead in an armed attack in western Afghanistan’s Nimroz province, local Taliban authorities confirmed.
According to the Taliban’s provincial police command, the attack took place on Monday (July 27) in the “60-Meter Road” area of Zaranj, the capital of Nimroz province. The victims included Abdul Khaliq Noorzai, a local tribal elder, and one of his nephews.
The Taliban said two other individuals were also wounded in the attack.
The motive for the shooting and the identity of the attackers remain unknown.
Images obtained by KabulNow newspaper show that Noorzai was attacked while traveling inside a vehicle. The photographs indicate that the victims were riding in a Toyota Hilux pickup truck when gunmen opened fire from the front.
The vehicle’s windshield and front section were riddled with more than 20 bullet holes, suggesting that the assailants used automatic firearms and carried out a targeted attack.
Local Taliban officials said an investigation is underway to determine the perpetrators and the motive behind the killing.
The latest attack comes amid a series of unresolved killings reported across Afghanistan. On July 27, local sources said the body of a teenage boy who had gone missing from Asadabad, the capital of Kunar Province, was found in the “Viyali 25” area of Ghani Khil district in neighboring Nangarhar Province, four days after his disappearance. Earlier, a similar incident was reported in northern Samangan Province, where the body of Nasrullah Rasouli, a young man, was discovered under mysterious circumstances in Aybak city.
In addition, several similar incidents, including the killings of former security officials, community elders, and civilians in Herat, Jawzjan, Khost, Nangarhar, Ghazni, and Daikundi, remain unresolved. The continued violence has raised concerns over deteriorating security and the lack of accountability for such crimes across the country.
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, local sources and rights groups have repeatedly reported mysterious killings and unexplained deaths across the country.
In many cases, the perpetrators have been described as “unidentified armed individuals,” while Taliban authorities have rarely announced the identification, arrest, or prosecution of those responsible. The continued emergence of such cases has raised concerns over public security, accountability, and the lack of transparent investigations into violent crimes.
While the Taliban say they have restored security, residents, civil society activists and human rights groups continue to express concern about the authorities’ capacity to protect civilians, carry out transparent investigations and hold perpetrators accountable.
