RASC News Agency: At around 5:30 PM on Friday, May 17, foreign tourists were attacked in the market of Bamyan province. Witnesses report that the tourists, along with their local companions, were shot at in front of the Highland Hotel, located in the main market of Bamyan. The attack resulted in the deaths of three Spanish nationals, three Afghanistani citizens (two of whom were drivers of the tourists’ vehicle), and one Taliban member.
Additionally, three Afghanistani citizens, a Spaniard, a Lithuanian, an Australian, and a Norwegian were injured. Witnesses described the attacker as having a yellowish complexion, resembling residents of Tala wa Barfak district in Baghlan province. The assailant was dressed in intelligence service attire and fired four single shots at the tourists, followed by the sound of an American M4 rifle.
The Taliban announced in a press release that seven individuals had been arrested in connection with the incident. However, local sources claim that the Taliban have detained a laborer from Bamyan who suffers from neurological issues and is currently being treated at the provincial hospital.
Hidden Angles of the Incident
According to informed sources, this incident occurred amid escalating tensions between local Taliban factions in Bamyan and the dismissal of three local officials, including the heads of education, economy, and agriculture, by the Taliban governor in Bamyan.
A local source alleged that Abdullah Sarhadi, the Taliban governor of Bamyan, frequently boasted about maintaining security in the province due to his management skills and did not regard local Taliban factions, particularly the Haqqani network, highly. Over time, he removed them from governmental positions under various pretexts, leading local Taliban factions to carry out such an attack to undermine Abdullah’s authority.
Some sources suggest that the contract for collecting revenues from Band-e Amir National Park was awarded to Mohammad Khan Ghazi, Abdullah Sarhadi’s brother. This reportedly incited resentment among Taliban factions opposed to Sarhadi, who aimed to deter tourists and economically harm Sarhadi by targeting foreign tourists.
This attack occurred amid a year-long escalation of tensions between the Taliban’s Mullah Baradar faction and the Haqqani faction in Bamyan. Since last year, Abdullah Sarhadi has managed to sideline key figures like Mawlawi Sediqullah Shaheen, the police chief, Qari Musa Nasrat, the deputy brigade commander, and Mawlawi Osmani, the former head of education.
Recently, the dismissal of the current heads of education and economy, and the transfer of the agriculture head in Bamyan, have been publicized. A source, requesting anonymity, told RASC News that local Taliban leaders in Bamyan, including Mullah Ziaullah Khadem, the current head of rural development, and Mawlawi Abdul Raoof Rohani, the deputy intelligence chief, have expressed serious concerns in a meeting. They warned that Abdullah might dismiss them as well and emphasized that security in the province would not be maintained without the local Taliban.
Despite repeated Taliban claims of nationwide security, particularly in Bamyan, statistics reveal that there have been 24 unsolved murders in Bamyan, with the Taliban arresting civilians and laborers instead of the actual perpetrators.
