RASC News Agency: Local sources in Ghor province report that armed individuals have assassinated a prominent tribal elder in the province’s capital. The victim, identified as Ata Gul, hailed from the village of Sangbar in Firozkoh, Ghor’s central district. According to the source, Ata Gul was attacked and killed on Thursday while visiting his farmland between the villages of “Taqa Timur” and “Band Bayan” by unidentified motorcyclists.
The motive for this assassination and the identities of the perpetrators remain unclear at this time. The source further noted that Ata Gul was a respected tribal figure. Though he held no formal government position, his sons had served in Afghanistan’s security forces. Despite the Taliban’s persistent claims that peace and security have been restored across Afghanistan, the cycle of violence and killings continues unabated, with lives being lost daily under various pretexts and accusations.
On the same Thursday afternoon, 14 residents of the village of Qaryodal, located in Sangtakht and Bandar districts of Daikundi province, were also killed by armed assailants near the province’s border with Ghor. The ISIS-K group claimed responsibility for this massacre, asserting that 15 Shia individuals were killed, with six others injured. However, numerous activists and organizations have pointed the blame at the Taliban, accusing them of being complicit in this ongoing violence.
Since retaking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have repeatedly proclaimed that peace and security have been restored in the country. However, the surge in killings, disappearances, and ethnic-targeted violence suggests otherwise. Many of those who have been killed or disappeared belong to the Tajik and Hazara communities, fueling suspicions that this is part of a broader campaign of ethnic cleansing, particularly against the Tajiks.
