Local sources in Daikundi have confirmed that unidentified gunmen shot dead Yaser Behzad Hosseini, a former officer in Afghanistan’s previous army, in the centre of Shahristan district.
According to the sources, two-armed men on a motorcycle killed him on Friday evening in Alqan Bazaar, only a short distance from the district governor’s office.
The attack occurred at around 8:00 pm while Behzad was closing his shop. Witnesses said two motorcycle-riding gunmen opened fire on him before fleeing the scene.
Relatives told Afghanistan International that the attackers shot him three times, killing him instantly.
During the former regime, Behzad worked in logistics and coordination for the army command in Daikundi province.
Flee to Tajikistan, family pressure and return
Sources said his life took a turbulent turn after the collapse of the former government. Due to security threats and fears of persecution, he initially fled to Tajikistan. After several years, he returned to Afghanistan but was detained by Taliban authorities for several days before being released. Fearing for his safety, he later fled to Tajikistan again.
According to the sources, Taliban forces detained his elderly father early last winter to pressure him into returning. The pressure eventually led him back to Afghanistan, where he opened a small shop in Alqan Bazaar, in Shahristan District of Daikundi Province to support himself.
Sources added that he had also been detained by Taliban intelligence about a month ago but was released before being transferred to Nili, the provincial capital, following mediation by the Taliban district governor.
Taliban authorities in Daikundi have not commented on the killing or the identity of the attackers.
Rising killings of former security personnel
The killing comes just one day after the body of Hashmatullah, another former Afghan National Army commander from the 201st Selab Corps, was found mutilated on the border between Parwan and Kapisa provinces, with reports that his eyes had been gouged out.
International human rights organisations have repeatedly reported that, despite Taliban claims of a general amnesty, arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances and targeted killings of former military and security personnel continue across Afghanistan.
Recently, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada met governors from nine northern and north-eastern provinces in Kandahar. According to a Taliban statement, he said the purpose of the “general amnesty” decree was to prevent revenge and ensure peace and security.
He urged religious scholars and community elders to encourage forgiveness, resolve longstanding disputes and promote local reconciliation so that future generations do not become trapped in cycles of killing.
