Afghan Exiles in Peril: Tehran Killing Exposes Taliban's Long Reach

Afghan media on Thursday reported that no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the killing so far and the Iranian authorities too have not yet released details of any investigation.

"Relatives said Saree was critically wounded in the shooting and died while being transferred to hospital. The reports indicated that the incident occurred in the Valiasr district, one of Tehran's busiest neighbourhoods," reported leading Afghan news agency Khaama Press.

"General Saree previously served as police chief in Afghanistan's Baghlan and Takhar provinces and was known as a senior security official during the former government. Like many ex-Afghanistan military personnel, he sought refuge in Iran after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021," it added.

Afghanistan's opposition movement leaders have described the killing as an "act of terror", highlighting that it has heightened fears among former security officials living abroad.

Calling him as one of the honest commanders committed to the people and the homeland, Jamiat-e Islami, the National Resistance Front and Freedom Front released statements saying that the killing of Saree underscored growing risks faced by former Afghan military and security figures in exile.

"Not long ago, the late Maruf Gholami, a former commander of the Islamic Jamiat, was martyred in Mashhad. Such murders, especially in cities where Afghan political and consular representations are under the control of the Taliban, are a cause for serious concern. It is expected that the relevant authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran will take action to identify the perpetrators of such murders and bring them to justice," read a statement issued by Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan on X.

The National Resistance Front (NRF) stated that Saree's killing in broad daylight and on Iranian soil has exposed the deep and hidden ties between the Taliban and the Iranian regime. It warned the anti-Taliban movements that Iran is no longer a safe place for them.

"The Freedom Front accused the Taliban of responsibility for the killing, describing it as part of what it called a broader campaign to eliminate former Afghan security personnel beyond Afghanistan's borders. Former intelligence chief Rahmatullah Nabil expressed condolences, saying the killing had deeply shaken Afghans at home and abroad," reported leading Afghan media outlet Amu Tv.

The report mentioned that along with Saree, one of his companions was also killed in the attack and another wounded.

"The elimination of former Afghan security officials continues even in exile, while the perpetrators enjoy complete impunity," Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan's charge d'affaires to the United Nations, wrote on X.

- IANS