Three Suspects Arrested Over Killing Of Former Security Officer, Says Taliban
A Taliban spokesperson in Khost province said three people have been arrested on charges of killing a former member of Afghanistan’s security forces.
A Taliban spokesperson in Khost province said three people have been arrested on charges of killing a former member of Afghanistan’s security forces.
The Taliban usually remain silent or deny responsibility in cases of targeted killings of former security personnel, making the disclosure of details and arrests a rare exception.
The announcement followed the publication of an investigative report by Afghanistan International, which said the Taliban had, in some cases, investigated targeted killings and gathered information but withheld findings from the public and did not share details with the media.
On January 12, Afghanistan International published confessions and Taliban government documents related to at least four targeted killings in Afghanistan. The investigation said Taliban authorities had examined some of the killings and detained suspects, but later released them without informing the public or ensuring due legal process.
Previously, Taliban spokespersons generally refrained from providing information about targeted killings in Afghanistan.
Two weeks after the report was published, Mustaghfir Gurbaz, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Khost, said the group’s intelligence forces had recovered the body of a former member of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, the previous government’s intelligence agency.
Gurbaz said the former serviceman had been killed under “mysterious” circumstances eight months earlier and that three suspects had been arrested in connection with the case.
In a post on X on Monday, Gurbaz identified the victim as Jawid and said he had served in the former government’s quick reaction unit. He claimed the man was killed by relatives, including uncles and cousins.
According to Gurbaz, Taliban intelligence forces found the body in the Matun area of Khost city, buried inside a house. He said three suspects have been detained and will be handed over to judicial authorities after preliminary investigations are completed.
Killings with Impunity
Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, a series of targeted killings has taken place across the country. Former members of Afghanistan’s security and defence forces, tribal elders and members of communities such as Panjshiris–Andarabis and Ismailis have been among the main victims.
International organisations and media outlets have reported scattered figures amounting to hundreds of killings. While no comprehensive official tally has been released, the number of targeted killings since August 2021 may reach into the thousands.
The Taliban rarely provide information about these deaths.
At the same time, media reports and findings by international organisations indicate that since returning to power, Taliban members have been involved in retaliatory killings, arbitrary arrests, torture and enforced disappearances of former government personnel.The absence of an independent judicial system, severe restrictions on the media and threats against journalists have meant many of these cases go undocumented, uninvestigated or unaddressed.Families of victims are also often unwilling to file complaints or speak publicly out of fear of retaliation or pressure from the Taliban.The Taliban have consistently denied organised involvement in these killings, but no transparent, independent or credible investigations have been carried out so far, and the main perpetrators have not been brought to justice.Two weeks ago, Afghanistan International published extensive investigative findings, including case details and video confessions by Taliban members to extrajudicial targeted killings.According to the report, families of victims of targeted killings often blame the Taliban, but the group typically denies or rejects the accusations. Over nearly four and a half years, Taliban spokespersons have refused to answer media questions about the details of such cases or to explain investigative procedures and judicial handling to the public.Some human rights organisations have called for the establishment of an independent human rights investigation mechanism in Afghanistan, including into targeted killings. However, the Taliban have cut cooperation with Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan.In 2024, the Taliban barred Bennett from entering Afghanistan. At the time, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Bennett was banned because, according to him, the UN envoy was engaged in propaganda against Afghanistan and was not someone whose statements could be trusted.
