RASC News Agency: Reports from local sources in Samangan confirm that three Taliban members lost their lives in a fatal traffic accident in the province. According to witnesses, the incident occurred in the Sayad area of Khulm district. The victims were identified as local Taliban officials, and a helicopter was dispatched to retrieve their remains from the crash site. One source detailed that the accident took place on Monday afternoon, Dec 30, in the Seghanchi Sayad area of Khulm district. The source attributed the accident to the excessive speed of a Land Cruiser carrying the Taliban members, which caused the vehicle to lose control, veer off the road, and overturn.
Another source disclosed that a helicopter arrived at approximately 3:30 p.m. to transport at least three bodies from the accident site. Meanwhile, Hashmat Rahmani, the Taliban police spokesperson in Samangan, stated on his X (formerly Twitter) account that two separate traffic incidents one in Khulm district and another in Largan village resulted in 4 fatalities and 7 injuries. However, he refrained from providing details regarding the identities of the victims. Traffic accidents have increasingly become a leading cause of fatalities across Afghanistan in recent months. The frequency of such incidents has surged nationwide, often attributed to poor road infrastructure and reckless driving practices.
In a related incident, the Taliban police command in Laghman province reported on Sunday that a collision between a passenger Mercedes vehicle and an Indian-made auto-rickshaw in the Qala Kot area of Mehtarlam city resulted in 5 deaths and 17 injuries. Local authorities confirmed that a woman and two children were among the deceased. Observers in Samangan cited the reckless behavior and negligence of Taliban members as the primary cause of the Land Cruiser crash, underscoring the growing concerns over road safety in Taliban-controlled areas.
