Informed sources say that the vehicle which struck and injured several young women in Kabul some time ago belonged to a Taliban official. According to the sources, the white government-issued Land Cruiser was linked to Mawlawi Ehsanullah Ehsan, a Taliban official at the Islam Qala Customs Department.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said it remains unclear whether the Taliban official was inside the vehicle at the time of the incident.
The incident occurred on June 7 in Kabul’s Police District 6, when a Land Cruiser drove into a group of young women walking along the roadside, injuring several of them. A few days later, Khalid Zadran, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Kabul Police Command, announced that the suspect had been arrested and that an investigation into the case was underway.
In images released by the authorities, the face of the detained individual was concealed. He appeared standing in front of a Land Cruiser vehicle; however, the Taliban have yet to provide official information regarding the suspect’s identity or further details about the incident.
Sources say that following the incident, footage from security cameras was reviewed, and the investigation showed that the vehicle fled the scene before later entering the residence of a Taliban official. According to the sources, the residence is linked to an official at the Islam Qala Customs Department.
Sources further stated that the vehicle did not carry a license plate and had tinted windows, details that are consistent with images circulated from the incident. They added that the driver is currently being held in custody at Kabul’s Police District 6.
According to the sources, the Taliban have suspended the customs official linked to the case and referred his file to a military court. However, no official statement has yet been issued regarding these claims.
Meanwhile, sources allege that the families of the injured young women were contacted and asked to refrain from publicizing the incident. Although the Taliban have repeatedly stated that security cameras are used to monitor public areas and that vehicles without license plates are not permitted to operate, sources say the vehicle involved in this incident had neither a license plate nor standard windows.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
