Afghanistan: Taliban official shot dead in Badakhshan
Kabul, July 28
The Taliban's Director of Information and Culture in Badakhshan, Zabihullah Amiri, was shot dead in a targetted attack in Afghanistan on Tuesday, local media reported, citing information from local officials.
The Taliban's police command in Badakhshan, Hesanullah Kamgar, said that Amiri was attacked when he was heading to his office along the Baharak-Faizabad highway. The Taliban said security personnel who were accompanying Amiri killed one of the attackers at the spot, while operations have been launched to find the second suspect. Amiri's driver was reportedly injured and taken to hospital, Afghanistan's leading Khaama Press Agency reported.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident is the latest amid a series of attacks targetting Taliban officials and security officials in Badakhshan.
Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), an armed group against Taliban rule, has previously taken responsibility for attacks against Taliban forces in Badakhshan. However, there is no proof about group's involvement in the killing of Amiri, Khaama Press reported.
On Monday, the Taliban started a new media engagement initiative to improve coordination between government institutions and the press with an aim to stress that the recent security incidents in Badakhshan province were overstated.
At the launch of the "Government in the Mirror of the Press" programme, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said clashes between security personnel and armed opposition groups in Badakhshan had been exaggerated and maintained that the situation in the province was under control, Afghanistan-based Ariana News reported.
He said that security incidents happen in several nations and should not be considered unusual and expressed readiness of Afghan security personnel to respond to any armed activity. He mentioned that people of Afghanistan support the current system.
Afghanistan's Minister of Information and Culture Sher Ahmad Haqqani said that reports circulating regarding clashes were based on rumours and did not reveal the actual situation and emphasised the importance of cooperation between the government and the media so that people receive accurate information.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Classic Taliban propaganda - launch a 'media initiative' to downplay security incidents while one of their own is being shot on the highway. The disconnect between their statements and reality is astonishing. How can they claim the situation is "under control" when assassinations are happening in broad daylight?
I feel for the common Afghan people caught in the middle. First the US pulled out, then Taliban took over, and now there's infighting and resistance attacks. Zabihullah Mujahid saying people 'support the current system' - bhai, who is he kidding? When will Afghanistan see peace? 🇮🇳🤝🇦🇫
The Taliban's media management is interesting - they're trying to control the narrative but these attacks speak louder than any press conference. Targeting a Director of Information and Culture is obviously symbolic. The AFF or whoever did this knows exactly how to undermine Taliban's legitimacy. It's a war of perceptions as much as bullets.
Respectfully, this is what happens when you try to run a country through fear and force. The Taliban may have military power but they clearly don't have the support of the people. Every assassination, every attack shows the cracks in their regime. Afghanistan needs inclusive governance, not more violence. 🙏
The irony is thick - Taliban talks about 'exaggerated security incidents' while their information director gets killed on the way to work. No group claiming responsibility yet, but this is clearly a targeted operation. Afghanistan's future looks bleak if this internal conflict keeps escalating. The international community should take note.
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