KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Two women have been killed and two other people injured in a violent incident in Maimana, the capital of northern Faryab province, the Taliban-controlled provincial police command said.
The incident occurred at around 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11, in the Damqul area of the first district of Maimana city, according to a statement issued by the Taliban police command in Faryab.
The police command attributed the incident to what it described as “domestic violence.” It said the alleged perpetrator fled the scene following the attack but was later arrested by Taliban forces in the Arabkhana area of Maimana.
The authorities have not disclosed the identities of the victims or their relationship with the suspect. They have also not provided further details about the circumstances of the attack or the nature of the injuries sustained by the two other victims.
The incident comes amid continued reports of killings and violence within families in different parts of Afghanistan. On Tuesday, November 10, the Taliban police command in western Herat province announced the arrest of a man accused of killing his mother-in-law.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly killed the woman with a stone in Razi Township, in the 11th police district of Herat city, before fleeing the scene. He was identified and arrested four days after the incident.
The Taliban authorities attributed that killing to “family disputes and problems between the suspect and his wife’s family.”
The killings highlight broader concerns about violence against women in Afghanistan, where domestic abuse, forced marriage and other forms of gender-based violence remain serious human rights concerns. The United Nations has repeatedly warned that restrictions imposed by the Taliban have weakened protections for women and girls and made it increasingly difficult for survivors to seek assistance or justice.
According to findings published by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and UN Women on March 8, 2026, Afghan women are nearly four times less likely than men to have access to formal justice mechanisms.
Only 14 per cent of women consulted said they had access to formal dispute resolution services, compared with 53 per cent of men. The findings were based on consultations conducted with more than 800 women and 160 men across Afghanistan in December 2025.
The UN has also highlighted the consequences of dismantling or suspending institutions that previously provided protection and legal support to women, including the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. The exclusion of women from the legal sector and the loss of women-centred support services have further restricted survivors’ ability to report abuse and pursue justice.
Human rights observers have warned that restrictions on women’s movement, employment and access to education, combined with economic dependence and limited access to support services, leave many women increasingly vulnerable to violence within their own homes. Fear of social stigma, family retaliation and the absence of safe shelters also discourage many survivors from reporting domestic abuse.
