KABUL: A senior Taliban official has been killed in an armed attack in Afghanistan’s north-eastern Badakhshan province, highlighting continuing security challenges despite the Taliban’s repeated assertions that the country remains stable.
Zabihullah Amiri, the Taliban-appointed Director of Information and Culture for Badakhshan, was shot dead on Tuesday while travelling along the Faizabad–Baharak road, according to provincial Taliban officials.
احسانالله کامگار سخنگوی قوماندانی امنیه ولایت بدخشان گفته است که ذبیحالله امیری، رئیس اطلاعات و فرهنگ این ولایت صبح امروز در مسیر فیضآباد-بهارک هدف حمله افراد مسلح موترسیکل سوار قرار گرفته است.
به گفته آقای کامگار او در این حمله جان باخته است.
درهمین حال، سخنگوی قوماندانی… pic.twitter.com/GL70P1WaLS
— Ariana News (@ArianaNews_) July 28, 2026
Ehsanullah Kamgar, spokesperson for the Taliban’s security command in Badakhshan, said Amiri’s vehicle was targeted by armed men riding motorcycles. He confirmed that Amiri was killed in the attack.
Kamgar added that Amiri’s security guards returned fire, killing one of the attackers at the scene. Security personnel have since launched an operation to trace and arrest any remaining suspects involved in the assault.
No individual or group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, and Taliban authorities have not disclosed a possible motive. An investigation into the incident is under way.
The killing comes amid reports of persistent security incidents and Afghan resistance groups in parts of Afghanistan, particularly in Badakhshan, where clashes and attacks have continually been reported in recent months.
While the Taliban continue to claim that they have restored nationwide security since returning to power in August 2021, the latest attack underscores the challenges they continue to face in safeguarding even senior officials.
Analysts say such incidents may raise fresh questions about the security situation in Afghanistan, especially in provinces that have witnessed recurring unrest.
However, the circumstances surrounding the attack and any potential links to organised groups or local armed elements remain unclear. Authorities have not announced whether additional security measures will be introduced following the killing.
One Taliban fighter killed in Badakhshan clash, Says NRF
Meanwhile, the National Resistance Front (NRF) has claimed that its fighters killed one Taliban member and injured two others during an overnight attack on a Taliban outpost in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province.
According to an NRF statement issued late Monday, the operation took place at approximately 1:00 a.m. on Sunday night in the Shahran area of Kuran Wa Munjan district. The anti-Taliban group said its forces targeted a Taliban checkpoint, resulting in one fatality and two injuries among Taliban fighters.
Local sources also confirmed that an attack had occurred on Taliban positions in Kuran Wa Munjan, although the reported casualties have not been independently verified. Taliban authorities in Badakhshan have not yet responded to the NRF’s claims or commented on the alleged losses.
The incident comes amid heightened clashes between Taliban forces and armed opposition groups in Badakhshan. In recent days, the Afghanistan Freedom Front has also reported capturing Taliban positions in Zebak district and downing Taliban drones. The Taliban, however, has rejected those claims, insisting its forces successfully repelled the attacks.
Four Taliban commanders killed by Afghan resistance groups
Earlier on Saturday, Afghan resistance groups reported that they had inflicted significant losses on Taliban forces in north-eastern Afghanistan, saying they destroyed a military convoy in Baghlan province and killed four senior Taliban commanders. It is one of the most consequential anti-Taliban operations reported this year.
According to the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), its fighters ambushed a Taliban reinforcement convoy in Doshi district of Baghlan after tracking its movement from Kabul through the strategic Salang corridor, a key route linking the Afghan capital with the country’s north.
The group said the convoy, which was carrying troops, weapons and military equipment to Badakhshan province, was destroyed in a rocket attack.
