According to informed sources, armed men on motorcycles shot and killed Arbab Wakil Ahmad, an influential figure in Herat, after noon on Thursday in the Abu al-Walid area of Herat city.
Arbab Wakil Ahmad had served for years as the community elder of the Babahaji neighborhood in western Herat. He was a member of one of Herat’s prominent former jihad-era families and was closely associated with Ismail Khan. Two of his brothers were also killed during previous conflicts in Afghanistan.
Sources say that Arbab Wakil Ahmad was widely recognized in Herat for his social activities, mediation in resolving disputes, and efforts to address the concerns and problems of local residents.
Sources further reported that his son was accompanying him at the time of the attack. However, no information has so far been released regarding his son’s condition.
The Taliban had not commented on the incident at the time of publication.
In recent weeks, several former jihadist commanders and former government security personnel have also been killed in separate attacks in western provinces of Afghanistan.
Abdullah Rahimi, a former National Directorate of Security official and a jihad-era commander from Ghor Province, was killed on 10 July while performing prayers at a mosque in Tiwarah District. He was the third former security figure to lose his life in Ghor Province within less than a month.
Earlier, Mohammad Hussain, a former police commander of Shahrak District in Ghor Province, was shot dead by armed individuals on 28 June on the Herat airport road. His wife was also injured in the attack.
Similarly, Sirajuddin, a former police officer and jihad-era commander from Ghor Province, was shot dead on 8 June outside his home in Tiwarah District.
These individuals were reportedly close commanders of Mohammad Ibrahim Malekzada, the former governor of Ghor and an influential figure within Jamiat-e Islami.
In another incident, unidentified individuals stabbed and killed Arbaba Dawood Arab, the head of the Herat Metalworkers’ Union and an influential local figure, on 30 April in the Shidai area of Herat city.
The Taliban have so far released no information regarding the arrest or identification of the perpetrators behind any of these incidents.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
