Taliban Attempted to Kill My Brother, Alleges Former Afghan Intelligence Officer

A former officer of Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) has accused the Taliban of attempting to kill his brother in Mehtarlam, Laghman.

He told Afghanistan International that the Taliban police chief for the city's first district, along with five other fighters, severely injured his brother by stabbing him.

The former NDS officer, now residing in the United States, claimed that the Taliban have been harassing his family since the collapse of the previous Afghan government.

He reported to the Pashto service of Afghanistan International that his family has been repeatedly threatened by local Taliban members.

"The Taliban imprisoned my brother once, and this time they tried to kill him. He is now in critical condition in the hospital," the ex-intelligence officer stated.

He emphasised that he holds no personal animosity toward the local Taliban officials, particularly the police chief in Laghman. He believes the harassment stems from his former role in the Afghan intelligence service.

A video obtained by Afghanistan International shows Hikmatullah, the injured brother, in critical condition. The former intelligence officer noted that doctors in Laghman assessed Hikmatullah's condition as severe. Initially taken to Nangarhar for treatment, Hikmatullah was later transferred to Kabul due to a worsening prognosis.

The former NDS officer called on the Taliban leadership to ensure justice is served. However, Taliban officials have not yet made any public statements regarding the incident.

Despite the Taliban's declaration of a general amnesty, numerous reports have emerged since their takeover of Afghanistan, detailing arrests, torture, and killings of former security forces personnel.

On Tuesday, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report documenting at least 60 cases of arbitrary detention, 10 instances of torture and mistreatment, and five killings of former government officials and security personnel between April and June of this year.