Local sources in Jaghori district, Ghazni province, report that Taliban fighters have killed a teenage boy and detained at least 12 of his relatives, including several school students, following an alleged attack on the district administrative building.
According to sources speaking to Afghanistan International, the teenager, identified as Mahdi, was shot dead by Taliban forces last Wednesday near the Jaghori district centre. His body was later handed over to his family with instructions to bury him quietly and without funeral prayers.
Taliban officials in the area have yet to comment on the incident. However, local elders summoned by the group were told that Mahdi was killed for allegedly launching an armed attack on the district office, and for reportedly planning a larger assault. The Taliban claimed Mahdi and another individual opened fire on the district compound before fleeing. One was shot dead, and the other allegedly escaped.
Contrary to these claims, several local sources maintain that Mahdi was merely riding past the district office on a motorcycle when he failed to stop at a Taliban checkpoint. He was shot and killed on the spot, according to eyewitnesses. Photographs seen by Afghanistan International show visible gunshot wounds on his body.
Following the incident, the Taliban reportedly detained 12 of Mahdi’s classmates and relatives—most of them students—and transferred them to a prison facility in Ghazni city.
In a broader crackdown, sources also report that the Taliban have instructed residents to report any unfamiliar visitors to the district. Additionally, local money transfer agents have been ordered to provide Taliban intelligence with full details of remittances received from abroad.
The incident has sparked fear and anger in the community, though no official condemnation has yet been issued by human rights organisations or international observers.
