KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A 13-year-old boy was found dead in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province, local sources reported, as cases of mysterious killings continue to rise across the country.
The incident took place in Helmand’s Nawzad district. According to local sources, the child was killed with stones, bore signs of strangulation, and his body was placed in a bag before being dumped in an irrigation canal. The identity of the boy has not yet been established.
Taliban authorities in Helmand have not issued any comment on the killing.
The case is the latest in a growing number of similar incidents. Just a day earlier, local sources and Taliban officials reported that a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Darzab district of northern Jowzjan province. Days prior, the body of a young man was discovered in southern Kandahar province, according to local sources.
A report released in March 2026 by the rights group Rawadari documented at least 611 cases of targeted, suspicious or extrajudicial killings and injuries across Afghanistan in 2025, an increase of more than 40% from the previous year. Victims included former government employees, individuals accused of links to opposition groups, protesters, tribal elders and other community figures.
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.
