The Taliban’s provincial director of Information and Culture in Badakhshan, Zabihullah Amiri, was shot dead on Tuesday morning in what officials are calling a targeted attack. The Badakhshan information director killed in the assault was on his way to work when gunmen intercepted his vehicle.
According to Ehsanullah Kamgar, spokesman for the Badakhshan Police Command, Amiri came under fire while traveling along the Faizabad-Baharak highway in the province’s capital. Two attackers riding a single motorcycle opened fire on his car before fleeing the scene.
Kamgar confirmed that Amiri’s own security detail returned fire during the attack, killing one of the assailants on the spot. Authorities say a manhunt is now underway for the second suspect, and an investigation into the shooting has been opened.
Details Surrounding the Badakhshan Information Director’s Killing
No group had claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of reporting. The Afghanistan Freedom Front, an anti-Taliban armed faction that has claimed past attacks in Badakhshan, has not been publicly linked to this incident, and officials have not disclosed a motive.
The killing came just one day after a separate deadly shooting in western Afghanistan, where tribal elder Haji Abdul Khaliq Noorzai and his nephew were gunned down in Zaranj, the capital of Nimroz province, according to local police.
Badakhshan has seen repeated bouts of violence targeting Taliban officials in recent years, including the 2023 car-bomb assassination of the province’s then deputy governor. Despite the group’s claims of having restored order nationwide, incidents like the Badakhshan information director killed this week highlight the persistent security challenges in the country’s northeast.
In response to mounting scrutiny over the province’s security climate, Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid recently said reports of unrest in Badakhshan had been overstated, insisting the situation remains under control and that isolated security incidents occur in many countries.
What Comes Next
Security forces say efforts to track down the remaining attacker are continuing, though no arrests had been announced as of Tuesday afternoon. The case adds to a growing list of targeted killings of Taliban officials across northern Afghanistan, raising fresh questions about the group’s ability to secure its own ranks even as it maintains that Badakhshan’s security situation is stable.
For now, the death of the Badakhshan information director stands as the latest reminder of how fragile that stability truly is.