KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Five people, including a former police officer and a woman, were killed in separate incidents across Afghanistan over the past two days, according to local sources and Taliban authorities, amid growing concern over a surge in violent crime and public safety in the country.
In northern Sar-e-Pol province, the body of former police officer Abdul Bashir Mohammadi, 28, was found on Saturday, local sources said. Mohammadi, who served in the provincial police command under the previous government, had been missing for 25 days. His family believed he had travelled to Iran.
In neighboring Panjshir province, the body of a young man identified as Mushtari was found on a mountain in Dara district after he had been missing for nine days, local sources said. Women from his village found the body in the Manjanesto area, the sources said. No further details were provided.
In eastern Kunar province, a woman and her young son were shot dead in a family dispute in Pech Dara district on Sunday, the Taliban provincial police command said. The suspected gunman, identified as the woman’s brother-in-law, was arrested. Authorities did not provide details about the dispute.
In central Ghazni province, a 25-year-old man identified as Mohammad Karim died after a hand grenade exploded in Mir Khan village of Qarabagh district. The Taliban police command said he found the device in a garbage dump and accidentally detonated it. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
A week earlier, a similar explosion in Ghazni’s Ab Band district killed a 17-year-old boy, according to local sources.
Afghanistan remains heavily contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants of war from decades of conflict. According to the United Nations, more than three million people live within one kilometer of explosive hazards across the country, while children account for more than 80% of casualties caused by landmines and other explosive remnants.
The incidents add to ongoing concerns over civilian safety and violent crime in Afghanistan. The Taliban authorities say they restored nationwide security after returning to power in August 2021, but reports of killings, family-related violence and unexploded ordnance casualties continue to emerge from different parts of the country.
