KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local sources in Afghanistan’s western Ghor province have confirmed the killing of Abdullah Rahimi, the former operations chief of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Taywara district, by unidentified armed men.
A source told KabulNow that Rahimi, a resident of the Zerni village in Taywara district, was shot dead on Saturday evening (July 11) while returning home from a mosque.
According to local residents, the assailants were wearing military uniforms at the time of the attack.
The source said Rahimi had been living an ordinary civilian life in his home village since the collapse of the former Afghan government in August 2021.
The source also noted that Rahimi had no known personal disputes or enemies. The motive behind the killing and the identity of the perpetrators remain unknown.
Rahimi’s killing comes amid continued reports of violence targeting former members of Afghanistan’s security forces. Just three weeks ago, sources reported the deaths of two former security personnel in separate incidents in Parwan and Daikundi provinces. One of the victims, Hashmatullah Hesari, a former military officer from Parwan, was found dead at Kapisa Hospital four days after he was reportedly detained by the Taliban. In a separate case, Yaser Hosseini, a former soldier, was shot dead by two armed men in Shahristan district of Daikundi Province.
While the circumstances of these cases differ and responsibility has not been conclusively established, they have contributed to ongoing concerns over the safety of former government security personnel under Taliban rule.
Despite the Taliban leader’s announcement of a general amnesty following their return to power, numerous former members of Afghanistan’s previous security forces have been killed under unexplained circumstances over the past five years.
Human rights organizations and UN reports have repeatedly documented allegations of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detentions targeting former government officials and security personnel.
While the Taliban have consistently denied carrying out retaliatory attacks, concerns over the safety of former security force members continue to be raised by rights monitors and international observers.
