RASC News Agency: Local sources report the killing of two soldiers from Afghanistan’s former government in the provinces of Faryab and Kapisa incidents that have once again intensified concerns about the fate of ex-security personnel under Taliban rule.
According to local sources in the center of Faryab province, the body of Sibghatullah, a former government soldier, was found in the city of Maimana. Witnesses say he was first killed and then mutilated. So far, no Taliban-affiliated authority has issued an official statement about the incident, and the silence of local officials has deepened concerns about the lack of accountability and transparency.
At the same time, other sources report the mysterious death of Nabi Kohistani, another former Afghanistan’s government soldier, in Kapisa province. He was a resident of Mullah Khalil village in Kapisa’s Second District and had been forcibly deported from Iran back to Afghanistan about two months ago. According to local sources, he died under unclear circumstances, and no public or independent investigation into his case has been announced.
These incidents come despite the Taliban’s repeated claims of having granted a “general amnesty” to former government personnel since returning to power in 2021 claims that sharply contradict numerous reports by human rights organizations.
Both Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) have confirmed in their official reports that hundreds of former soldiers and security employees have faced arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings since the Taliban takeover. These findings indicate that what the Taliban call “amnesty” has, in practice, turned into a policy of gradual elimination of former opponents.
In recent months, thousands of Afghanistani citizens including dozens of former soldiers have been forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan to Afghanistan. International organizations have warned that these individuals, especially former military personnel, face serious risks of arrest, retaliation, and violence inside the country.
Nevertheless, the Taliban have not only failed to establish any transparent mechanism to protect these individuals, but by restricting access for the media and independent institutions, they have effectively blocked scrutiny and accountability.
The killings of Sibghatullah in Faryab and Nabi Kohistani in Kapisa, alongside dozens of similar cases, show that former government soldiers remain among the most vulnerable groups in today’s Afghanistan.
Until independent investigations, free media access, and accountability from those in power are ensured, this cycle of violence and injustice will continue.
