A young man on Friday, March 28, 2025, was shot dead by unidentified armed men in Herat province, western Afghanistan.
Local sources report that the victim, identified as Homayoon, was gunned down on Friday, March 28, while shopping for Eid al-Fitr in Herat city’s fifth district.
The attackers reportedly fled the scene immediately after the shooting.
The motive for the killing remains unclear, and local Taliban authorities have yet to commenton the incident.
The killing is part of a disturbing rise in mysterious killings and criminal activity in Afghanistan, which has seen a surge in such cases in recent years.
Despite the Taliban’s repeated claims that they have restored security since their return to power, the increasing number of these killings has left citizens fearful for their safety.
According to figures compiled by local online media, in February alone, at least 25 people, including women and young girls, were mysteriously killed across the country.
In its 2024 annual report recently released, Rawadari, a London-based human rights group, documented the killing and injury of at least 435 people.
This included women and children, in targeted, mysterious, and extrajudicial attacks carried out by Taliban members or unidentified individuals.
The report indicates a 1.6% increase compared to the figures from 2023.
Human rights groups and activists have criticized the Taliban for failing to ensure security and investigate these incidents thoroughly.
There have been a lot of mysterious killings since August 2023. But in recent times, this seems to have been on the increase.
A young man was also reportedly killed on March 21, 2025.
According to reports, in August 2023, there were more than 200 extrajudicial killings of former Afghan government officials and security forces.
According to a U.N report, the killings had been taking place since the Taliban took over the country in 2021.
According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the report suggested that groups most targeted by the Taliban were former army, police and intelligence forces.
UNAMA in 2021 had documented at least 800 human rights violations against former Afghan government officials and security forces between Aug. 15, 2021, when the Taliban seized power, and the end of June 2023.
The Taliban swept across Afghanistan as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final weeks of their withdrawal from the country after two decades of war.
But with the spate of killings of non-government officials, it remains unclear to analysts, the motive and perpetrators of these killings.
Since the Taliban authorities are yet to comment on the situation, analysts believe it is best to wait as events unfold in coming days.
