Taliban Kills Young Shiite Man in Herat's Jebrael Township
Reliable sources from Herat have confirmed that Taliban members killed a young Shiite man in the Jebrael township of the province on Thursday.
Reliable sources from Herat have confirmed that Taliban members killed a young Shiite man in the Jebrael township of the province on Thursday.
The young man, identified as "Habib”, was killed amid rising tensions between the Taliban and Afghan Shiites over Ashura observances.
According to local sources, Habib had clashed with Taliban members the day before his death to protest against the restrictions imposed on Shia mourners in Herat.
A source informed Afghanistan International that Habib was under 25 years of age and a resident of Saidabad in Jebrael township. The source mentioned that Habib had twice approached the "Poste Siah”, Taliban checkpoint between his home and the city, to protest against the Taliban's restrictions on mourning ceremonies, leading to arguments.
The Taliban have not officially commented on the incident.
Residents reported that the Taliban later returned to the site of the killing and deleted surveillance camera footage from nearby buildings.
In recent days, tension between Afghan Shiites in Kabul and Herat and the Taliban over Ashura observances have intensified.
Over the past week, the Taliban have repeatedly raided Jebrael township, tearing down Ashura flags and symbols from rooftops and shops.
Video clips sent to Afghanistan International from Kabul also show Taliban members removing Ashura symbols in Shiite-majority areas. Earlier, Taliban restrictions on Ashura observances had sparked anger among residents of the Chindawol area in Kabul.
Previously, Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the Taliban's Director of Information and Culture in Herat, described mourning ceremonies of the month of Muharram as "political and foreign heresies" that should be stopped.
Local sources also reported that the Taliban arrested seven protesters in Jebrael township who opposed the restrictions on mourning ceremonies. There are no updates on the fate of those arrested.
