Afghanistan: Senior Taliban Official Zabihullah Amiri Shot Dead In Rare Targeted Attack In Badakhshan

Faizabad, July 29, 2026: A senior Taliban official was shot dead in a rare targeted attack in Afghanistan's northwestern Badakhshan province on Tuesday, authorities said.

Zabihullah Amiri, the province's director of information and culture, was travelling from a local district to the provincial capital, Faizabad, when two gunmen opened fire on him, according to a statement issued by the Information Ministry.

Official Killed While Travelling

The ministry said security personnel responded immediately after the attack.

"Immediately following the incident, security guards opened fire on the attackers; one attacker was killed and the second was captured," the ministry said, adding that authorities were investigating the killing.

Rare Targeted Attack

Targeted killings of senior Taliban officials have remained uncommon since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led forces.

In December 2024, Refugee Minister Khalil Haqqani was killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul. Haqqani was the uncle of Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who heads a powerful network within the Taliban.

Previous Attacks In Region

In June 2023, a car bomb in Faizabad killed Badakhshan Deputy Governor Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi and his driver. The Islamic State in Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack, as well as a suicide bombing at a memorial service for the deputy governor days later that killed at least 13 people.

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Earlier, in March 2023, the governor of the northern Balkh province was killed in a bomb attack on the governor's office.

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