RASC News Agency: Local sources in Helmand province have confirmed the discovery of the body of a prominent merchant in a cemetery in Lashkar Gah’s 10th district. The victim, identified as Abdul Wadood, a native of Babaji district and owner of a major wheat market, was found stabbed to death yesterday, raising alarm among local communities over the escalating lawlessness in the region.
While the precise motive behind the killing remains unclear, residents and social activists warn that it reflects a broader pattern of targeted assassinations, abductions, and intimidation that has surged across Helmand and other southern provinces over recent months. Notably, just weeks prior, the son of another local merchant was reportedly kidnapped and killed by unknown gunmen a stark reminder of the pervasive fear and insecurity that now dominates the commercial sector.
Activists and community members assert that many of these violent incidents are orchestrated or tacitly permitted by Taliban fighters and local commanders, yet the perpetrators remain unidentified and unpunished. In most cases, Taliban authorities either ignore these crimes entirely or dismiss them as acts of “unknown individuals,” underscoring the regime’s profound inability or unwillingness to provide basic security and law enforcement for civilians.
The repercussions of this growing insecurity are severe. Business owners, already grappling with decades of conflict, economic instability, and declining investment, now operate under constant threat. Many are reluctant to maintain or expand their enterprises, fearing both targeted attacks and extortion, which has already begun to stifle Helmand’s economic activity and erode local livelihoods.
Experts warn that the Taliban’s sustained failure to address or prevent organized violence not only undermines public trust but also exacerbates a climate of impunity. Ordinary citizens and traders remain vulnerable to arbitrary violence, while the Taliban consolidate control through intimidation rather than governance, further destabilizing the province.
This incident highlights the systemic neglect and mismanagement of security and economic stability under Taliban rule. The continuation of such violence threatens to accelerate capital flight, reduce investment, and deepen public mistrust, leaving Helmand increasingly exposed to lawlessness and turning southern Afghanistan into a hotbed of insecurity and fear.
Local residents emphasize that without genuine accountability and protection measures, the Taliban’s promises of security remain hollow, leaving civilians to navigate a daily reality of fear, uncertainty, and economic precarity. The killing of Abdul Wadood is thus not an isolated crime but a symbol of the Taliban’s broader failure to safeguard the population and uphold the rule of law.
