Zabihullah Amiri, Badakhshan's director of information and culture, was shot dead while traveling to Faizabad. Security guards returned fire, killing one attacker and capturing another, and investigators are examining the incident. Though targeted killings of senior Taliban figures have been uncommon since 2021, several high-profile attacks in 2023 and 2024 underscore ongoing security challenges.
Senior Taliban Official Killed in Rare Targeted Attack in Badakhshan
This is a locator map for Afghanistan with its capital, Kabul. (AP Photo)
KABUL, Afghanistan — Zabihullah Amiri, the provincial director of information and culture for Badakhshan, was shot and killed on Tuesday as he traveled toward the provincial capital, Faizabad, in what authorities described as a rare targeted attack.
Two armed men opened fire on Amiri while he was en route from a local district, the Information Ministry said in a statement. Security personnel at the scene returned fire: one attacker was killed and the other was captured, the ministry added. Investigators are examining the circumstances of the killing.
“Immediately following the incident, security guards opened fire on the attackers; one attacker was killed and the second was captured,” the Information Ministry said.
Targeted assassinations of senior Taliban figures have remained uncommon since the group returned to power in 2021 after the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces. Nevertheless, the past few years have seen several high-profile attacks on provincial officials, raising concerns about security in parts of the country.
Recent High-Profile Attacks
- December 2024: A suicide bombing in Kabul killed refugee minister Khalil Haqqani, a relative of Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.
- June 2023: A car bomb in Faizabad killed Badakhshan's deputy governor, Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, and his driver. The Islamic State in Khorasan Province (IS-K) claimed responsibility; days later, a memorial service for the deputy governor was struck by a suicide attack that killed at least 13 people.
- March 2023: The governor of northern Balkh province was killed in a bombing at his office.
Authorities have not publicly identified suspects or a motive in Amiri's killing. The capture of one attacker may yield forensic evidence or intelligence that investigators hope will clarify whether this incident was part of a broader campaign by militants such as IS-K or the work of other actors.
Local officials and security forces are reported to be cooperating in the inquiry, and provincial authorities have said they will provide updates as the investigation progresses.
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