AHRDO

On the evening of October 26, 2023, at approximately 7:35 PM, a powerful explosion occurred at the Mellat Boxing Club located in the Pol-e-Khoshk, Dasht-e-Barchi area of west Kabul. At the time of the incident, twenty-six athletes were training at the facility in preparation for a competition scheduled for the following day. The Barchi area is predominantly inhabited by the Hazara ethnic group, a community that has been frequently targeted in attacks. The explosion resulted in the deaths of six to eight athletes and injuries to five others. Additionally, one of the club's trainers lost his hearing due to the intensity of the blast. The bodies of the victims were identified and released at three different hospitals in Kabul. ISIS Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack.

No statement

On April 22, 2018, a suicide bomber detonated his explosive device amidst a large gathering of civilians seeking to obtain electronic identification (e-ID) cards in the Mahtab Qala area of Dasht-e-Barchi, located west of Kabul. The explosion resulted in the deaths of at least 69 civilians, with an additional 120 individuals sustaining injuries. According to official reports, among the victims were 22 women, 17 children, and individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, the injured comprised 52 women, 50 men, and 17 children. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant–Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP) claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they targeted the Hazara-Shia community.

No statement

On May 12, 2020, three attackers wearing Afghan national security forces uniforms and armed with AK-47 rifles and hand grenades conducted an assault on the maternity ward of Dasht-e-Barchi hospital. After shooting and killing a security guard at the hospital entrance, the attackers entered the facility and proceeded directly to the maternity ward, where 28 women were present at the time. The attackers moved systematically from room to room, firing on patients and throwing hand grenades. The attack resulted in twenty-four deaths, including nineteen women, three children, and one female healthcare worker. Twenty-three people were injured, including twelve women, two children, and one newborn. Following the attack on June 15, 2020, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which operated the maternity ward at Dasht-e-Barchi maternity hospital, announced its decision to end activities and withdraw from the hospital.

No statement

On May 12, 2020, three attackers wearing Afghan national security forces uniforms and armed with AK-47 rifles and hand grenades conducted an assault on the maternity ward of Dasht-e-Barchi hospital. After shooting and killing a security guard at the hospital entrance, the attackers entered the facility and proceeded directly to the maternity ward, where 28 women were present at the time. The attackers moved systematically from room to room, firing on patients and throwing hand grenades. The attack resulted in twenty-four deaths, including nineteen women, three children, and one female healthcare worker. Twenty-three people were injured, including twelve women, two children, and one newborn. Following the attack on June 15, 2020, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which operated the maternity ward at Dasht-e-Barchi maternity hospital, announced its decision to end activities and withdraw from the hospital.

No statement

On 11 March 2023, an explosive device detonated inside the Tabyan Center, in Mazar-e-Sharif. The blast resulted in the deaths of 2 journalists and injuries to another 18 people. All the victims were civilians, primarily belonging to the Hazara ethnic group. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP) claimed responsibility for the attack.

No statement

On July 23, 2016, two suicide bombers denoted their explosives among the protesters at Dehmazang Square in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. The protesters, who were primarily Hazaras, were part of the Enlightenment Movement. They were protesting against the diversion of the TUTAP mega power project which would cause the project to bypass Hazara-dominated areas. At least 84 protesters lost their lives and 260-400 others were injured. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), the regional branch of ISIS, took credit for the attack. However, ISKP later refuted their involvement in the attack.

The Enlightenment Movement, also known as Junbesh-e Roshnayie, was a grassroots civil disobedience movement started by Hazaras in Afghanistan in response to a change in the Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG proposed Energy Supply Improvement Investment Program, unofficially called TUTAP project plans. The change in the project plans would cause it to bypass Hazara regions. The move was seen as perpetuating long-standing anti-Hazara discrimination. Throughout 2016 and 2017, the Enlightenment Movement coordinated large-scale demonstrations against discrimination both domestically in Afghanistan and abroad.

Abbas Was Martyred and Left Me Alone with Sorrows

Narrator: Zahra (mother)

Victim: Abbas Mohammadi

Date of the incident: 23 July 2016

Location of the incident: Dehmazang, Kabul City

Abbas always left for work early in the morning, but on the day of the demonstration, no matter how much I called him, he would not wake up. I attended to the house chores, but he still didn’t wake up. I called him again, but he told me he was tired and wanted to rest. When he woke up, he asked his wife for his white clothes, but his wife did not give him the clothes. He got angry and kicked her, saying, “Every day my mother ironed my clothes. Today she has washed clothes and is tired. ” I calmed him down. His wife ironed the clothes and gave them to him. Abbas called and said he wanted to wear the new slippers he had bought the day before. He called me and said, “Mother! If there is anything left from the Eid cookies, bring me some. I am very hungry for cookies.” I quickly brought him some cookies. When having tea, he said, “Mother, I don’t feel interested in work today.” I said it’s good for you to go to work. I gave him a new handkerchief as he was leaving the house. Around noon, we were sitting at the table and having lunch, and I told his sister in-law, “I feel very restless today. Please call Abbas.” When she called Abbas, he did not pick up the phone. A few minutes later, he called and said he was in Dehmazang waiting for the demonstration to come to an end.

We ate lunch and put away the tablecloth. At 1:24 pm, I got the news that there had been an explosion. I immediately called his number but he didn’t answer. I was beating myself and crying. His father wouldn’t let me leave the house because I could not control myself. I told him, “Let me go. My son has been martyred.” I kept crying and screaming until the next day, but it was pointless. The next morning, at 10:00 am, Abbas was taken to the mosque. I went there and saw Abbas. I passed out when I saw his body. When I regained consciousness, I asked everyone where Abbas was. They said they had taken him to the cemetery for burial. He has two children, a seven-year-old girl, and a two-year-old boy. His wife is also pregnant. Soon after Abbas was martyred, less than forty days after, his wife’s family came to find their daughter and took her away. I pleaded with her not to go. I said it is your house, and you are like my daughter, but she did not listen to me. She went and left her children behind. She said she would also bring us the new child after birth. She listened to her father, who wanted her to go to his house. We live in the same alley. Now, I feel hopeless for this innocent child crying at night and calling for his mother. I don’t know what my daughter in-law’s family told her to make her leave the children and go to her father’s house. Abbas was martyred and left me alone with such sorrows.

On July 23, 2016, two suicide bombers denoted their explosives among the protesters at Dehmazang Square in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. The protesters, who were primarily Hazaras, were part of the Enlightenment Movement. They were protesting against the diversion of the TUTAP mega power project which would cause the project to bypass Hazara-dominated areas. At least 84 protesters lost their lives and 260-400 others were injured. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), the regional branch of ISIS, took credit for the attack. However, ISKP later refuted their involvement in the attack.

The Enlightenment Movement, also known as Junbesh-e Roshnayie, was a grassroots civil disobedience movement started by Hazaras in Afghanistan in response to a change in the Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG proposed Energy Supply Improvement Investment Program, unofficially called TUTAP project plans. The change in the project plans would cause it to bypass Hazara regions. The move was seen as perpetuating long-standing anti-Hazara discrimination. Throughout 2016 and 2017, the Enlightenment Movement coordinated large-scale demonstrations against discrimination both domestically in Afghanistan and abroad.

The Third Body Was My Father

Narrator: Shafiqullah (Son)

Victim: Abdul Shakoor Karimzada

Date of the incident: 23 July 2016

Location of the incident: Dehmazang, Kabul City

My father was born in 1942 in Qoluj Village of Qarabagh District in the province of Ghazni. My father was martyred in Dehmazang at the age of 74. My father has four sons and two daughters. My brothers and sisters are married and all live separately. My father always encouraged me to get an education and improve my life. He encouraged my sisters to have good relations with people. To perform the prayer, he would always go to the mosque. My father had five brothers, one of whom was killed during the wars. He spent his childhood in the village. Almost 50 years have passed since my parents got married. Their eldest child is 34-years-old. My best memory of my father is related was when I managed to pass the university entrance exam. When I told him about it, he had tears in his eyes, hugged me, and was very happy. He had many dreams for his children and always said he wanted all of us to succeed. He even encouraged his daughters to get an education and said they should go to school, get good grades in university, and achieve their dreams. We moved to Kabul in 2009, following which he never returned to Ghazni. My father was a social and good-natured person who was very fond of his children and grandchildren.

My father and brothers, Najib and Zabihullah, worked for ten years in Iran. He had a cow, and he would always look after it. Later, he sold the cow and bought a cart to work as a vendor. Sometimes he would do construction work. He had become interested in the activities of the Enlightenment Movement and frequently attended their meetings. He believed that our people should stand up for justice and raise the voice of the oppressed.

On July 23rd, he left home at 9 am. I also went to Kot-e-Sangi. I did not know my father, too, would be taking part in the demonstration. When I got there, I felt that the security situation was not good, so I returned home. The university exams were coming up, so I was studying at home. The night before the incident, Negah TV announced that the next day’s demonstration had been cancelled. However, when my father heard from the Movement's announcement that the demonstration would happen anyway, he went to Dehmazang the next day.

At 2:30 pm, when I turned on the TV, news of the explosion in Dehmazang was being broadcast on the 1TV network. My mother was distraught. She came to me and wanted me to call my father immediately. She explained that he had gone to Dehmazang. When my father left the house in the morning, no one stopped him; he was participating in the demonstration of his own free will. I called his number, but he didn't answer. I called him again, and somebody else picked up his phone and said: “I am a doctor, the owner of the phone is seriously injured, come to Ibn-e Sina Hospital.” I didn't know what I was doing. I took a taxi and immediately went to Esteqlal Hospital. I called my father's number and said I had arrived at the hospital. The doctor again told me that I should come to Ibn-e Sina Hospital. The road was closed, and the police would not allow anyone to pass. With difficulty, I made it to the hospital. I searched everywhere, but I could not find my father. A doctor called me and told me to follow him. I was in a terrible mental state and told myself my father must be injured. The doctor would take me to him. Then I realized that he was taking me to the morgue. When I got there, there were other martyrs too. The third body was my father’s. My world fell apart. I broke down and felt lost and I didn't know what to do. It was a difficult moment.

My father was transferred to the Emergency Hospital. The next day, we brought his body home. After bathing him, we buried him in the cemetery of Nawabad in Deh Qabil.

I am not asking for anything from this government because this is the same government that killed our people. I am requesting human rights institutions not to let the blood of our martyrs be wasted in vain, since they gave their lives for justice. Our loved ones did not take part in the demonstration for electricity, but because the government discriminates against some of the people of Afghanistan. We must follow in their footsteps and not let their voices be silenced.

On July 23, 2016, two suicide bombers denoted their explosives among the protesters at Dehmazang Square in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. The protesters, who were primarily Hazaras, were part of the Enlightenment Movement. They were protesting against the diversion of the TUTAP mega power project which would cause the project to bypass Hazara-dominated areas. At least 84 protesters lost their lives and 260-400 others were injured. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), the regional branch of ISIS, took credit for the attack. However, ISKP later refuted their involvement in the attack.

The Enlightenment Movement, also known as Junbesh-e Roshnayie, was a grassroots civil disobedience movement started by Hazaras in Afghanistan in response to a change in the Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG proposed Energy Supply Improvement Investment Program, unofficially called TUTAP project plans. The change in the project plans would cause it to bypass Hazara regions. The move was seen as perpetuating long-standing anti-Hazara discrimination. Throughout 2016 and 2017, the Enlightenment Movement coordinated large-scale demonstrations against discrimination both domestically in Afghanistan and abroad.

That Afternoon, They Brought His Body Home

Narrator: Gholam Abbas (uncle-in-law)

Victim: Ali Ahmad Hamdard

Date of the incident: 23 July 2016

Location of the incident: Dehmazang, Kabul City

Martyr Ali Ahmad was a decent and well-mannered boy. He attended school up to 8th grade. Afterward, he served in the National Army for almost 12 years. He moved from Bamyan to Kabul nearly 13 years ago. He was from Bamyan province, Takht Varas region, and was nearly 23-years-old. He was a faithful boy and was martyred in the Dehmazang incident. A year had passed since his marriage, but he had no children. The living conditions of his wife are not good, but she has honored their ties and is still living in Kabul.

He has a brother who is in Iran. Everyone is busy with their own lives, and that's why his wife is living a difficult life with a salary of 5 thousand Afghanis and a rented house. However, because of the her husband’s kind treatment of her, she continues to endure all the problems on her own. We have lovely memories of the martyr. He kept everyone happy and satisfied by treating them well. He never spoke loudly or frowned at anyone. Even on the day of the demonstration, he left the house smiling and joking. But later that same day, in the afternoon, they brought his body home.

On July 23, 2016, two suicide bombers denoted their explosives among the protesters at Dehmazang Square in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. The protesters, who were primarily Hazaras, were part of the Enlightenment Movement. They were protesting against the diversion of the TUTAP mega power project which would cause the project to bypass Hazara-dominated areas. At least 84 protesters lost their lives and 260-400 others were injured. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), the regional branch of ISIS, took credit for the attack. However, ISKP later refuted their involvement in the attack.

The Enlightenment Movement, also known as Junbesh-e Roshnayie, was a grassroots civil disobedience movement started by Hazaras in Afghanistan in response to a change in the Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG proposed Energy Supply Improvement Investment Program, unofficially called TUTAP project plans. The change in the project plans would cause it to bypass Hazara regions. The move was seen as perpetuating long-standing anti-Hazara discrimination. Throughout 2016 and 2017, the Enlightenment Movement coordinated large-scale demonstrations against discrimination both domestically in Afghanistan and abroad.

I Wish the Light Movement Turns into An Influential Force

Narrator: Mohamad Yaseen Dawlat Shahi (uncle)

Victim: Ahmad Sharif DawlatShahi

Date of the incident: 23 July 2016

Location of the incident: Dehmazang, Kabul City

On 23rd July, I was preparing to take part in the demonstration. We live upstairs and Ahmad Sharif and his family lived downstairs; we all lived together. When I went downstairs, Ahmad Sharif was also ready. He had bathed, recited the Holy Quran, and offered prayers. We sat together at the table. My wife had prepared some french fries and we both ate a small amount. His mother put the remaining amount inside the bread and placed it in a plastic bag. She told Ahmed Sharif to take it with him because we would need it later. I put it in my bag, and he brought five bottles of frozen water. He joked with his mother, "Mom, do you think we are going to the desert that you put five bottles of water in the refrigerator for us?"

His mother said, “It is ok, you are not alone; others, too, may need water and drinking water may not be available at that time, so it is good to take these water bottles with you.” So, we put the water bottles in our bag and left the house. We had walked only a few steps away from the house when Ahmad Sharif looked back at me and said: "Uncle! The situation is not so good today. Try to stay close to us and not go far away." What I remember well is that he was talking like he had received information from someone indicating that the situation would turn bad that day. He even talked about death. I told him okay, Ahmad, do not worry, I will not leave your group today. We both arrived near Mosala. People had already gathered there. We were separated because someone from the People's Council of the Enlightenment Movement was looking for a person to oversee the generator they had set up for the stage.

No one accepted the responsibility Mr. Qalandari offered them, because everyone wanted to be actively involved in the demonstration. No one wanted to be inactive. I really felt sorry for him, so I went to him and said I would like to be in charge of the generator. I was stationed on the Kamaz truck from the beginning to the culmination of the demonstration, and up to the time of the explosion. It was parked close to the Dyna truck. The Kamaz truck moved two minutes after the explosion. During the demonstration, he would come to me, sometimes to drink water. Ahmad Sharif came to me about 15 or 20 minutes before the explosion and said, "Uncle, give me water." He even joked with his close friends and said, “We brought water for ourselves and we will not give it to you.” He and his friends drank the water. The event organizers were also sitting on the truck. He went towards them and said, “You sit here, all sides have been abandoned and the police have left. People are entering from every direction, and it is not clear who is who. The ice cream cart has entered the crowd. It's better that you get up and start enforcing order. God forbid, someone may get inside and decide to do something.” It was the last time I saw him. It was prayer time and Mr. Behzad passed by the Kamaz truck. Music was playing from inside the vehicle. He wanted them to stop the music and call people to gather for prayer.

Because it was very hot, there was not enough mineral water for everybody, and that's why the group suggested bringing a water tanker. They insisted that Ahmad Sharif should go for the water tanker, but he refused it because he didn't want to leave the impassioned stage of justice. Finally, they called someone else to deliver a tanker of drinking water. The water was not yet delivered when the incident happened; he was distributing food and water. When the explosion happened, some people were inside the truck. When they heard the explosion, they wanted to jump out. I told them to wait for a few minutes. God forbid, but another explosion could happen when they jumped out. People waited for a minute or two while others fled the scene. When we got out of the vehicle, an injured person near the vehicle was in critical condition. He said to me, “Please help me, I am dying.” I told him, God forbid, you won't die. I went to him, took him under his arm, and moved him to a different location, and helped him lean on something. I told him to wait there and that I would go get an ambulance for him.

I was helping the wounded and had no idea about the fate and condition of Ahmad Sharif. I was sure he had pulled himself out of that situation. After some time, I thought it would be good to call him to see how he was doing. I kept calling him, but the network said it was busy. Since he didn't answer my call, I got suspicious. I got a call from home. They said, “there was an explosion in Dehmezang, where are you?” I told them that I was helping the wounded at the site of the explosion. They asked about Ahmad Sharif. I told them I tried calling him, but he did not pick up his phone. After a while, the wounded and martyrs were picked up from the road and transferred to different hospitals. We went to Esteqlal Hospital. When I got there, I called his number again. Someone answered the phone, and I realized that it was one of the administrators of the hospital. He asked me how I was related to him. I told him that I am his uncle. He asked me to go meet him. When I went to see the person, he informed me of Ahmad Sharif's martyrdom.

Ahmad Sharif was a member and co-founder of the Afghanistan Victims’ Families Organization. He had lost his father for earning freedom. During the former Soviet reign, he graduated from one of the police academies as the top performer. Under Hafizullah Amin’s reign, he was pulled out of his house with his hands and feet tied and then killed. At that time, Ahmad Sharif was in his mother's womb and his older brother was just two-years-old. He had never met his father. The same thing happened to Ahmad Sharif’s daughter; she never got to see her father. Ahmad Sharif's 40th day of martyrdom had passed when his daughter was born. She did not get to see her father. He was the head of Afghanistan's Young Elite Generation. He was a sociable and friendly person. He was my main source of motivation in civic activities. To be honest, he would force me to attend meetings and encourage me to work for justice and peace.

Ahmad Sharif had obtained a master's degree. He studied at Ibn-e Sina and Kateb universities. It was almost three months since he had been appointed as a specialist in the Literacy Department of the Ministry of Education. After his martyrdom, all his colleagues shed tears for him even though he had just been appointed. This is the life of our people. But we are all proud, and even his mother is proud and says she is happy that Ahmad was martyred in the way of justice, freedom, and righteousness. He has two daughters named Setayesh and Parastesh. One of his friends showed me their private conversation in which Ahmad Sharif had told him, “I wish the Enlightenment Movement turns into an influential force in our society. Then, I won’t regret it if I am martyred or killed.”

On July 23, 2016, two suicide bombers denoted their explosives among the protesters at Dehmazang Square in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. The protesters, who were primarily Hazaras, were part of the Enlightenment Movement. They were protesting against the diversion of the TUTAP mega power project which would cause the project to bypass Hazara-dominated areas. At least 84 protesters lost their lives and 260-400 others were injured. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), the regional branch of ISIS, took credit for the attack. However, ISKP later refuted their involvement in the attack.

The Enlightenment Movement, also known as Junbesh-e Roshnayie, was a grassroots civil disobedience movement started by Hazaras in Afghanistan in response to a change in the Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG proposed Energy Supply Improvement Investment Program, unofficially called TUTAP project plans. The change in the project plans would cause it to bypass Hazara regions. The move was seen as perpetuating long-standing anti-Hazara discrimination. Throughout 2016 and 2017, the Enlightenment Movement coordinated large-scale demonstrations against discrimination both domestically in Afghanistan and abroad.

It Is Our People’s Right to Have Electricity

Narrator: Nasrin (wife)

Victim: Amir Mohammad Rahimi

Date of the incident: 23 July 2016

Location of the incident: Dehmazang, Kabul City

In the name of God,

I am Nasrin, the wife of the martyr Amir Mohammad. I have 5 children, two girls and three boys. We come from Bamiyan Province, in the district of Shibar, from Shanbal Village. We currently live in Kabul. Amir Mohammad was 45-years-old when he was martyred. However, I found out his age was recorded as older than that on his Tazkira (National ID Card).

Hamed, The Martyr’s Son:

My father was born in Kabul in 1970. He attended the Asif Mayil High School in Qala Nazer up to the 12th grade. My father had very good manners and morals and always encouraged us to do good deeds.

The Martyr's wife:

He studied up to the 12th grade. After that, he did not continue with his studies because of his difficult financial situation, and he started working. Sixteen years had passed since our marriage. He behaved very well with everyone and was a sociable and friendly person. He was very benevolent and calm. At home, he treated me and my children well. He always told us that we should defend our rights. Before the 23rd July demonstration, he would go to Mosala to participate in social events, especially those related to the Movement. He used to participate in the early meetings of the Movement and when he came home, he would talk about the right of our people. He used to say: “Electricity is a right of our people and we will stand up against the government if it violates our rights.”

He was self-employed. In the winter season, he worked with his cousin who had a store, selling Turkish stoves in Qala-e Nazer. My husband was literate and his cousin was illiterate, that's why he managed the finances of his cousin’s store. His cousin was the store owner and Amir Mohammad managed the store’s financial affairs. His dream was for his children to get an education. He was always kind at home and believed that there should not be a tense environment at home when life was already so difficult. When the issue of the 23rd July demonstration came up, I did not consent to him going to Dehmazang. I told him I did not want him taking part in the demonstration because an attack might happen. He answered, “We belong to this land and it is the right of our people to have access to electricity. We must defend the rights of our people and stand up against injustice.”

Hamed, The Martyr’s Son:

At first, it was decided that he would not go and take part in the demonstration. We tried to prevent my father from going, but his enthusiasm and his love for the people made him go to Dehmazang. We were watching the Dehmzang demonstration live on TV when the suicide attack happened. We immediately called my father to know where he was. He said he was in Dehmzang and had been injured. He was taken to Imam Ali Hospital. We got to the hospital. Since it was very crowded at this hospital and it was not possible for the staff to take care of all the patients, we transferred him to the Imam Zaman Hospital in Barchi.

The Martyr's wife:

His back was wounded, but he was not hurt severely. When we took him to the Imam Zaman Hospital, the doctor could not operate on him properly. At first, we didn't notice anything. But after a few days, his condition worsened. He suddenly had a seizure. We took him to the Rahel Hospital. They explained that all the fluid in his head was leaking into his body, and this was causing a problem with the lack of fluid in his brain. He was operated on again, but did not recover. The bullet had hit his back, but his spinal cord was not hurt.

Hamed, The Martyr’s Son:

First, we took him to Naser Khosrow Hospital. They told us there was a good specialist at the Imam Zaman Hospital in Barchi who could operate on the wounded, that's why we took him there and the doctor at this hospital operated on him.

The Martyr's wife:

When we visited him, Amir Mohammad said, "A police pick-up truck came in Dehmazang and I got on the back of the truck.” There were other wounded with him and that is how he got to the hospital.

Hamed, The Martyr’s Son:

At that time, his condition was not so serious. His legs were hurt, one leg was fractured, but it was not severe. In the Square, he wanted to find my cousin who was there at the demonstration, but he could not find him, and so he managed to get into the pick-up truck and get to hospital.

The Martyr's wife:

We took him to another hospital. Following the surgical operation, his legs stopped moving. Before the first operation, his leg was simply fractured due to the blast that had thrown him onto the ground. The doctor was dishonest; he didn't tell us before the operation that he didn't have the ability to perform the surgery. It would have been better if we could have transferred him to a better hospital or take him to Pakistan or India for the operation. After the operation, Amir Mohammad remained in a coma for four days. He never again opened his eyes. He repeatedly had seizures, and his brain fluid leaked through his back. He was hospitalized for four days in Rahel Hospital.

Hamed, The Martyr’s Son:

Preparations were made for taking him to India; we wanted to take him abroad for treatment, but he died before that could happen.

The Martyr's wife:

After my husband’s martyrdom/death, I went to the doctor to file a complaint. I asked him why he had performed such a critical operation when he lacked the know-how. He had nothing to say. When he met me, he held his head down; he was clearly embarrassed. I said to the doctor that he should have told us to take him to India or Pakistan for treatment. “Why did you do something that was beyond your ability?” Every time he examined my husband, he said, “It is okay, let this fluid come out of his body, because this is pus.” White fluid like milk came out of his back. Sometimes he could not straighten himself up easily; his back could sometimes not move. My husband died because of the negligence of this doctor. His leg was slightly fractured in the incident, and if the operation had not been done in that hospital, he could still be alive today.

I will never forgive this doctor because he ruined our life. After my husband’s martyrdom, my brother-in-law has been helping us because my son has to go to school; he can’t work. Now we have no other choice. God took my husband from us and we cannot do anything other than remain patient.

I ask the government to pay attention to the families of the Martyrs. The independent human rights commission should investigate this crime. My children are all young; my youngest son is just three years old. Now they are helpless. Their uncle can only help us for one year. The economic situation in the entire country is already bad without one family having to support another family for a long time. Since my children are young, I can't work and leave them alone. So, if there is any sewing or embroidery opportunity that I can do from home, I will definitely start working. My children must get an education and have a bright future.

Confidential

Confidential

On August 7, 2015, an attack occurred in the Shah Shahid area of Kabul. Many houses and shops were destroyed in the attack. At least 15 people died and more than 400 others were injured.

The Curse of Incidents Always Hit the Poor

In the dark midnight, all were sleeping. That night when the explosion took place, I imagined our home upside down. Those scenes of horror and darkness still haunt my dreams. In the dark, I tried to move and look for my family members to see who was fine and who was injured, but I couldn’t get up and move. Then I noticed that my leg felt wet. I was injured by broken glass from my house. I had lost one leg in 1989 in mine explosion. This time, my other leg was injured.

All my family were terrified. The floor was covered with broken glass. We could not see anything in the dark. After the first incident when I lost my leg, my family behaved and liked me like before. But it was painful for me because I sometimes feel that I can’t do enough with my disability. When I was injured the first time, I was treated at the government hospital. We were also provided with other assistance. After I got out of the hospital, were provided with monthly coupons along with 4000 Afghanis in cash. But the assistance our current government provides is not sufficient. I ask the government to bring peace and not forget war victims. We were disabled in this land and we are its citizens. Sometimes I hear very unfair words. They say that people like me were culprits or perpetrators and that's why we were disabled. When I hear these words, it makes me sad and my heart breaks.

The Taliban slaughtered at least 300 Sayyid and Hazara people during an attack on the Yakaolang District of Bamiyan province on January 7, 2001. Witness accounts state that once the Taliban troops retook Yakaolang, they started to arrest and ruthlessly kill individuals. In late December 2000, they had lost Yakaolang to Hezb-e Wahdat, an anti-Taliban party that claimed to be supported by the Hazara minority. Additionally, witnesses reported to Amnesty International that Hezb-e Wahdat soldiers executed at least four people in broad daylight during the few days they occupied Yakaolang in late December 2000.

No statement

In the dark midnight, all were sleeping. That night when the explosion took place, I imagined our home upside down. Those scenes of horror and darkness still haunt my dreams. In the dark, I tried to move and look for my family members, those who were fine and who were injured. But I couldn’t get up and move. Then, I figured out that my leg felt wet and I was injured by broken glass from my house. I had lost one leg in 1989 in a mine explosion. This time, my other leg was injured.

The Curse of Incidents Always Hit the Poor

Name and Last Name: Kabalsha Aghajan

Date of Birth: 10 November 1968

Date of Injury: 22 March 1989

Type of Arm: Mine

In the dark midnight, all were sleeping. That night when the explosion took place, I imagined our home upside down. Those scenes of horror and darkness still haunt my dreams. In the dark, I tried to move and look for my family members, those who were fine and who were injured. But I couldn’t get up and move. Then, I figured out that my leg felt wet and I was injured by the broken glass from my house. I had lost one leg in 1989 in a mine explosion. This time, my other leg was injured.

All my family were terrified. The floor was covered with broken glass. We could not see anything in the dark.

After the first incident when I lost my leg, my family behaved and liked me like before. But it was painful for myself because I sometimes feel that I can’t do enough with disability.

When I was injured the first time, I was treated at the government hospital and also provided with other assistance. After I got out of the hospital, I was provided with monthly coupons along with 4000 Afghanis in cash. But the assistance our current government provides is not sufficient.

I ask the government to bring peace and to not forget war victims. We were disabled in this land and we are its citizens. Sometimes I hear very unfair words. They say that people like me are culprits or perpetrators. That’s we are disabled. When I hear these words, my heart breaks and it makes me sad.

Ramazan Ali Sanger was detained in the last years of Dr. Najibullah's administration due to his support for jihad in opposition to the government supported by the Soviet Union. Ramazan was married to Rahima, and the two of them had three children. In Pul-e-Charkhi jail, Ramazan was slain in early 1992 after being subjected to harsh beatings and torture by his interrogators.

Victims of Jihad

Narrator: Rahima

Victim: Ramazan Ali Sangar

Date of the incident: 1993

Location of the incident: Kabul, Pul-e-Charkhi Prison

Ramazan Ali was very excited about Jihad. He felt that Jihad is fighting for the way of God, a way that leads to happiness. He would call himself a true follower of God. Rahima was supporting her husband because of her love for him. She did not know much about Jihad. She came to know about it through her husband and wanted to help her husband in this “holy war.” But taking part in Jihad had severe consequences for Ramazan. He was imprisoned because of his ideology, was badly tortured, and eventually gave his life without having been prepared for martyrdom.

No one knows how he was killed. Perhaps, he died from the effects of torture. After Ramazan Ali’s death, his wife and three children were left behind without any support or financial means. From morning to night and night to dawn, they were in search of a piece of bread. Rahima knocked on door after door to find work as she did not want to see her children living in chronic poverty. But no one seemed to care. No one invited them to their wedding parties. Though people easily talked of compassion, their lack of such mercy in practice came down on Rahima like a hammer on her head. She sacrificed her entire life to provide for her children.

It is this aspect of holy war that Ramazan seems to have failed to consider. His excitement about taking part in Jihad turned him blind to its severe implications for the rest of his family. If he were alive today, he could listen to the suffering of his wife and children. He could intimately familiarize himself with their untold story. If he was alive today, perhaps, he would choose another way of attaining prosperity.

The Story of Ramazan Ali

It was the last year of Dr. Najibullah’s government during the month of Ramadan. Shortly after dinner, my husband began praying. We did not know that our house was under surveillance. Suddenly, we heard suspicious movements. When we came out of the house, the yard was full of people. More than 50 soldiers came into our house. They started to beat my husband.

They beat him because he was a Mujahid. They arrested him and took him away. He was detained in Sadarat and we were not allowed to see him. We could go there only to deliver his clothes. I went to Sadarat and waited for days to see my husband but they did not allow me to see him. I even begged each and every soldier and officer to make an exception but to no avail.

After six months, he was transferred to Puli Charkhi Prison, where he spent another year. Once again, I was not allowed to see him. After one year, he wrote us a letter and sent us his ring and some other things. In that letter, he mentioned that he had been transferred from the second floor of Block 2 to Block 3. He also indicated in his letter that if he was no longer found in Block 3, we should stop looking for him. He suggested that his children should be sent to learn the holy Quran.

After we received his letter, I went to Puli Charkhi Prison on several occasions. Every time, the prison officials told me that nobody with his name was imprisoned there. Then, the last time I went there, they told me that my husband had been executed and handed over his personal belongings to me. We never saw his dead body. He was killed seven years after our marriage. It was after his death when our truly bad days began and I was obliged to do all kinds of hard work including cleaning, washing, and ironing to support my family and children. We also lived for 13 years as refugees in Iran.

I still preserve my memories of Ramazan, the worst being when I was told that he had been executed. Coming back home, I was so desperate and sad. My younger daughter asked me what happened and I told her that her father was no longer alive. She began to shout and cry for a long time. Since then, I have never seen her cry again. In those days, I was working day and night while continuing to mourn the death of my husband. Some nights, my younger son and I cried together. Sometimes my son cleaned my tears and told me that I could be his father too.

Another sad moment in my life was the day when my husband was arrested and handcuffed. There was a place in our home where he hid but the soldiers found him. He was handcuffed and beaten up in front of me and the children. My husband told me not to worry and that nothing would happen to him. When he was taken away, I saw the tears in his eyes. Afterwards, I never saw him again. I will never forget that moment.

Many Mujahidin factions waged a civil war throughout Afghanistan in the 1990s, killing thousands of people, including women and children. Some were forced to flee their homes and subjected to various forms of violence like rape, extortion, abuse, harassment, abduction, and arbitrary detentions. Safia lost three members of her family during the bloody civil war, including her mother, her cousin, and her brother in-law, when a mortar shell was thrown into their home by the hostile group in the western suburb of Dasht-e-Barchi, Kabul.

When Homes Turn into Graveyards

Narrator: Safia

Victim: Shirin Gul

Date of the incident: 1993-1996

Location of the incident: Kabul City, Dashte Barchi

Shirin Gul is not the only woman whose house was destroyed over the past three decades of war in Afghanistan, though all houses destroyed in Kabul resemble that of Shirin Gul. The injuries visible to the walls of the houses mirror the injuries inflicted onto the bodies of its residents.

During the various conflicts, particularly the one between the different Mujahidin factions, the houses in Kabul were no longer people’s shelters. Rather, they were their graves prepared in advance. There was always the possibility of a rocket or artillery shelling destroying someone's home. None of the houses were beyond the reach of violence, nor were they durable enough to protect their inhabitants against the persistent attacks. These ruined houses became a refuge for Death, making his home among the many people buried in the rubble of their own homes. The whole of Kabul was turned into a gigantic graveyard.

Shirin Gul was one of those people whose house was bombed and took her life during the civil war in the 1990s. It happened on an evening when she attempted to defy the terror of war by holding a small reception to bring back the happiness of former times to what had by then become a city of ghosts. She did not expect that her home would one day become a slaughterhouse, and that her reception would end in terrible tragedy. Shirin Gul had invited her son in-law and brother in-law to an evening reception. They had just begun their supper when a stray rocket fired by the Taliban hit the exact room where the reception was taking place, immediately killing Shirin Gul and her two guests. The death of Shirin Gul marked the end of happiness for her children. Her husband did not marry again and dedicated himself to taking care of his mother-less children.

The Story of Shirin Gul

My name is Safia and I am 42-years-old. I am living in the Dugh Abad area of Dashte Barchi. During the war, I lost three members of my family: my mother, my cousin, and my brother in-law. My whole family, including my son in-law and my cousins, were in our home when a rocket hit our house and killed them. I was not personally present when the incident happened.

According to my family members, their bodies were ripped to pieces and it was almost impossible to identify them. My cousin had a two-month-old child who died soon after his father’s untimely death. His wife had no option but to return to her father’s home. My mother left behind six children, two sons and four daughters. Today, my father is old and my sisters are mentally unstable. One of my sisters left her husband and children because of these mental problems.

Now she does not recognize anyone anymore. I am not mentally stable either. I was desperate after the death of my mother. She loved me a lot.

The worst moment in my life was when I heard about the death of my mother. After she died, no one ever properly welcomed me in my father’s home anymore, and this made me so disappointed.

Many Mujahidin factions waged a civil war throughout Afghanistan in the 1990s, killing thousands of people, including women and children. Some were forced to flee their homes and subjected to various forms of violence like rape, extortion, abuse, harassment, abduction, and arbitrary detention. Ghulam Hazrat was killed in the civil war between several Mujahidin groups while serving as a soldier in the Mujahidin Islamic State Government. After Ghulam Hazrat passed away, his wife Halima and their four children were left in the midst of a devastating civil war that claimed thousands of lives and uprooted millions, with no one to provide for them.

About Happiness

Narrator: Halima

Victim: Ghulam Hazrat

Date of the incident: 1992-1996

Location of the incident: Kabul

Halima’s list of dreams is neither very long nor very ambitious. Her dream is to be happy. Certainly, many people in war torn societies like Afghanistan have similar dreams of happiness. For them, happiness is not about prosperity, wealth, and power. Neither is it about having stylish and luxurious mansions, or expensive cars. In short, they do not have as sophisticated an understanding of happiness as ordinary people in other countries have.

On the contrary, their world is extremely small and their expectations are very modest. For Halima and people like her, happiness means bread. It means being able to provide a piece of bread for their children to sleep at night with their bellies full, so that they can dream of other things than something to eat. At best, happiness means having a home and that one’s children sleep under a roof in which they can grow up in peace. In addition, for people like Halima, happiness means being looked upon as a normal member of society. As long as the community does not humiliate her and her sons and they can live without fear and intimidation, she is content.

Halima does not desire much more than these simple things. Unfortunately, war has denied her even the simplest of dreams. Six years after getting married, she lost her husband and was left alone with four children, with the fourth one being born six months after the death of Ghulam Hazarat. For three years, they survived thanks to the assistance of the Najibullah government. However, after the Mujahidin took power in Kabul, the situation changed and government funding was no longer available to them. As a result, Halima had to sell her home utensils, one after another, to feed her children. When there was nothing left to sell, she had no option but to wash and clean people’s clothes and homes. Other times, she worked as a sewer. She remembers many days when she could only provide dry bread for her children. Today she is 45-years-old, has heart disease, and can no longer operate the sewing machine. The nightmare of poverty has returned. She does not know whether a day will come when she can finally feed her children properly. If such a day were to arrive, she would finally consider herself happy. Such is Halima’s modest understanding of happiness.

The Story of Halima

When I first got married, it was my father in-law who was the main breadwinner for our family. He was a carpenter. Later on, my father in-law stopped working due to old age. Therefore, my husband joined the army as an ordinary soldier. My husband did not have a good salary. Since he was deployed in another province, it was difficult to send money home. In those days, together with my sister in-law, we were doing embroidery work at home and then sold it at the local market. Eight months later, my husband returned on home leave. With the small salary he brought, we bought flour and oil. He stayed with us for a few days and then went back to the barracks. After eight months, he once again sent money to us through one of our relatives. Then, after two years, my husband finally came back and we had two more children. He began working at a bakery. In those days, our living conditions were relatively good.

After a while, he was recalled by the army. Eighteen months later, he was killed. It was just a few days before his home leave. We waited for him to come home but he did not come. On the 18th day, I woke up and told his mother that I was going to prepare bulani for her son today. I prepared everything and then fell asleep. My mother in-law came and woke me up and I returned to my preparations. I had prepared only three bulani when I heard someone crying outside the house. I went out and saw two soldiers standing at the main door. They inquired if this house belonged to Hazrat Khan and when my father in-law affirmed, the soldiers told him that Hazrat Khan had been injured and hospitalized.

Together, they went to the hospital where they discovered that Hazrat Khan had died. They came back home around 4pm. I was calling my father in-law Baba, so I asked Baba how Hazarat Khan was. He answered that he was slightly injured and that he would bring him home the day after. My younger son did not sleep the whole night and asked to go and see his father. That night a lot of people came to our home. They brought big dishes. I heard my uncle asking for the Quran. I told my father in-law that he was trying to hide something from me and that perhaps Hazrat Khan had died. I began to cry. My mother in-law tried to make me understand that they needed the Quran for a different purpose.

The next morning, my father in-law asked me to clean my room, saying that he and his friends would like to sit there. I went and cleaned the room. Later on, my sister in-laws came in. They hugged me and said that Hazarat Khan had passed away. I was six months pregnant. After the news, I fainted and remained unconscious for a long time. Later, when I regained consciousness, I saw a coffin covered with red cloth. My six-year-old daughter came and asked me who she should call father from now on. She hid under the bed and began to cry.

Over the next few weeks, the fire of war spread everywhere, including Chihil Sotun where we resided. Everyone was forced to leave their homes and we moved to Shur Bazaar. There, my mother in-law died. Then, I went to live in my father’s home in Jade-Asmayi where we had nothing to eat. Next, I stayed with my sister in-law for three months before we finally found a place to stay, though we did not even have a carpet to sit on.

Later, someone donated military blankets and a bag of flour, but I had no utensils to make bread for my children and I was forced to borrow a small cooking pan from my neighbor.

My children slept most of the time as there was nothing for them to eat. In the evenings, we had nothing to light and heat our home with. We spent three months like this. When the fighting finally came to a halt, I borrowed a sewing machine from my father and began sewing for others in order to feed my children. Gradually, I managed to buy little things for our home including three cups, spoons, and a plastic blanket.

The worst moments were those days that I had no food to give to my children, except a piece of bread. Nowadays, I wash clothes and tailor. Although this is increasingly difficult to do as I have a heart problem.

Abdul Jalil, my elder brother, was born in 1977 in the Panjshir Province. He used to work as a guard in Sarai Ahmadzai in the Shah Shaheed area. One summer night, when Abdul Jalil was sleeping in his room, a huge explosion occurred and destroyed the entire market. It killed and injured many people. He was severely injured when we took him out of the debris of the shattered building, but he lost his life on the way to the hospital. We took his body to his birthplace in Panjshir and buried him there.

The Story of Fazl Ahmad Khan (brother)

Victim’s Name: Abdul Jalil

Date of Incident: July 8, 2015

Place of Incident: Shah Shaheed, Kabul

Abdul Jalil, my elder brother, was born in 1977 in the Panjshir Province. He used to work as a guard in Sarai Ahmadzai in the Shah Shaheed area. One summer night, when Abdul Jalil was sleeping in his room, a huge explosion occurred and destroyed the entire market. It killed and injured many people. He was severely injured when we took him out of the debris of the shattered building, but he lost his life on the way to the hospital. We took his body to his birthplace in Panjshir and buried him there.

Abdul Jalil was only 38-years-old when he was killed. He had gotten married just a few years back and left behind his young wife and a three-year-old son who are now living with us. His wife is now suffering from depression since his death. Abdul Jalil was the only breadwinner of his family. I do everything I can to take care of and protect his son but he still feels his father’s absence. The older he gets, the more he feels the void. It will probably take him a very long time to accept his father’s death. I will always try to help and support them, but I don’t think I will ever be able to fill Abdul Jalil’s empty place. His death and absence will never be forgotten.

Hedayat was imprisoned for six months. Then we were told that they would release him in exchange for 350,000 Afghani. I did my best to find the money. I sold our house. I borrowed money from my brother and took money from people, promising to pay the money back with interest. I finally gathered the money and paid the authorities. They promised to release him the following Sunday but several Sundays passed without his release. After forty days, I went there again and asked two guards, Shah Wali and Mudir Abdurraham, whether Hedayat would be released today. They said that they did know now and asked me to wait. Shortly after, the gate was opened and a body was brought out on a footstool. I thought that someone had fainted but it was Hedayat’s body. I began to scream and curse at everyone and threw away my chadari. I was totally out of my mind.

A Story of Never Ending Pain

Narrator: Nargis

Victim’s Name: Sakhidad Hedayat

Date of Incident: November 22, 1999

Location of the Incident: Kabul City

If there had been no war, Nargis could have been one of the happiest women on earth. She is a strong and good woman, full of courage and determination. In spite of all the difficulties that she has faced, she always has a smile on her lips. At the same time, she is dejected and disillusioned by all the things that happened to her over the years: successive displacements, homelessness, and most of all, the death of her husband, Sakhidad. When the Taliban arrested him, she was forced to sell her house in order to bribe the Taliban to release Sakhidad, but all she received in return was his dead body. She alone had to transport the corpse all the way from the eastern part of Kabul to Dasht-e-Barchi. Since then, her life seems like a never ending journey of suffering, in which Nargis plays the role of both father and mother for her five children for whom she hopes that a better tomorrow will eventually arrive.

The Story of Nargis

My name is Nargis and I am 40-years-old. I live in Dasht-e-Barchi. I am originally from Bamyan Province. When we lived in Bamyan, we had a decent life as my father in-law had a great deal of land. My husband Sakhidad, known as Hedayat, was the only son of his family. When the Taliban attacked Bamyan, they looted our properties and we were displaced to Kabul. We had to walk all the way and my youngest child was only 40-days-old. Once in Kabul, my husband opened a shop in Sar-e Kariz. However, some people did not like my husband and reported to the Taliban that he was a member of the opposition.

The Taliban came and arrested him in May 2000. When we learned that he had been arrested, my cousin searched everywhere but could not find him. After four days, we came to learn that he had been detained in Department No. 11 but that no one was allowed to meet him. He was first taken to the Intelligence Department and then to Department No. 6 where he was detained for six months.

We know that the Taliban tortured him daily without giving him any food. When my cousin tried to deliver food for him, he was not allowed to meet my husband.

One day, I was sitting at home when my cousin came. It was early morning and I was very worried that something might have happened to Hedayat. When I saw him, I was full of fear because he usually did not visit us in the morning. He held a letter in his hand and told me not to worry. He said that Hedayat had sent a letter through the ICRC and that we were now ensured that he was alive and where he was held captive.

After a great deal of effort, I found out that Mawlawi Abdul Haq was the director of Department No. 3. I asked him to give me permission to visit Hedayat in prison and after paying him a huge amount of money, he allowed me to meet my husband. From then on, every two weeks my youngest son and I visited him in prison, even though sometimes the Taliban made excuses and denied us entry. Every time we went to the prison, I prayed to be granted permission to see my husband. Every time I went to see him, I had to walk all the way from Cinema Pamir to Department No. 3 with my child in my arms and food and clothes in my hands, hoping to meet my husband. Every time I saw him, he gave me little gifts for the children.

Hedayat was imprisoned there for six months. Then we were told that they would release him in exchange for 350,000 Afghani. I did my best to find the money. I sold our house. I borrowed money from my brother and took money from people, promising to pay the money back with interest. I finally gathered the money and paid the authorities. They promised to release him the following Sunday, but several Sundays passed without his release. After forty days, I went there again and asked two guards, Shah Wali and Mudir Abdurraham, whether Hedayat would be released today. They said that they did know now and asked me to wait.

Shortly after, the gate was opened and a body was brought out on a footstool. I thought that someone had fainted but it was Hedayat’s body. I began to scream and curse at everyone and threw away my chadari. I was totally out of my mind.

I was running around like mad until I found a taxi. I told the taxi driver to take us home. He accepted and put my husband’s body inside the car. When my brothers saw me in the car, they thought that Hedayat had been released. They all came to my home. I told them that the Taliban had informed me that Hedayat was dead but I still thought that he might be unconscious.

I asked my brothers to fetch a doctor. He eventually came and said that Hedayat had passed away a long time ago. We then buried him in Tap-e Shuhada.

When my husband died, he was 33-years-old and I was 28. We had nothing left at home as I had sold everything to pay for the release of Hedayat. We had five children and my oldest son was only 10-years-old, with the youngest no older than 8 months. After my husband’s death, we had a very hard life. No one helped us. We lived in a tent as no one was willing to rent out his home to a widowed woman. I was indebted and the government did nothing to address my suffering.

Today, no one listens to our stories of sadness. I voted for Karzai to help the victims’ families but he has done nothing so far. I also voted during the parliamentary elections, hoping that the Members of Parliament would do something for us but they have not done anything either. As soon as they reach a position of power, they forget us. They just make vague promises and then do nothing. No official has ever asked us about our problems or listened to us.

Earlier, I used to receive 300 Afghani. This year, they have removed the names of my sons from the list of beneficiaries.

My husband’s most valuable souvenirs are his five children. The most important object that he left for us is his blanket. It is the same blanket with which we covered his coffin. Another object is the letter that he sent us from prison, as well as some gifts that he had given us. Most importantly, I have kept the veil that he gave me for our wedding ceremony. Finally, there are some photos and clothes of him that help me to always remember him.

I have included these objects in my Memory Box so as to make my husband’s memory live forever. I wanted to share his story with the wider public. I also hope that in the future, the government will use these objects to build a museum so that the people become aware of the pain and suffering our county has endured, and to finally learn how to live in peace.

A deadly blast rocked a Shia mosque in Puli Khumri City, Baghlan Province, on October 13, 2023, killing and injuring dozens of people. The Imam Zaman Shiite mosque in the second district of the city was packed with worshippers for Friday prayers when the explosion happened. Witnesses told local media that the blast was caused by explosives hidden inside the mosque. Some residents claimed that it was a suicide attack aimed at the Shia and Hazara communities. The attack left at least 20 people dead and 66 others wounded, according to ground records conducted by AHRDO.

No statement

A deadly blast rocked a Shia mosque in Puli Khumri City, Baghlan Province, on October 13, 2023, killing and injuring dozens of people. The Imam Zaman Shiite mosque in the second district of the city was packed with worshippers for Friday prayers when the explosion happened. Witnesses told local media that the blast was caused by explosives hidden inside the mosque. Some residents claimed that it was a suicide attack aimed at the Shia and Hazara communities. The attack left at least 20 people dead and 66 others wounded, according to ground records conducted by AHRDO.

No statement

Two Shia clerics, Rajab Akhlaqi and Khadim Hussain Hedayati, were shot and killed by unknown gunmen on motorcycles on Thursday, November 23, 2023. The shooting took place in Etifaq Avenue of Jibrail Town in Herat, an area with a mostly Hazara population. The two victims were members of the Herat Shia Ulema Council and came from the Lal and Sarjangal districts in Ghor Province. No group or individuals have claimed responsibility for the assassination of the Hazara clerics.

No statement

Two Shia clerics, Rajab Akhlaqi and Khadim Hussain Hedayati, were shot and killed by unknown gunmen on motorcycles on Thursday, November 23, 2023. The shooting took place in Etifaq Avenue of Jibrail Town in Herat, an area with a mostly Hazara population. The two victims were members of the Herat Shia Ulema Council and came from the Lal and Sarjangal districts in Ghor Province. No group or individuals have claimed responsibility for the assassination of the Hazara clerics.

No statement

Eid Mohammad Etimadi was abducted and murdered by unknown armed men on Sunday, October 22, 2023. He had gone to a relative’s funeral in the Kamarklagh neighborhood of Herat City. While returning home, his car was intercepted by armed men in the Khashrood area of the Injil District of the province. They searched the passengers’ cell phones to identify them and took Etimadi with them. They claimed that they would take him to a nearby Taliban security post. However, when his relatives went to the Taliban security posts, they were told that the Taliban had no information about him. His family and relatives looked for him everywhere. On Monday, October 23, they found his corpse in the Ghorian District.

No statement

On August 1, 2017, a Shia mosque in Herat, Afghanistan, was attacked. 33 people were killed and 66 others were injured. Two men carried out the attack. One carried a suicide vest and the other was armed with a rifle. They entered the Jawadia mosque during an evening prayer session where approximately 300 people had gathered to worship. The first attacker flung bombs into the crowd before detonating his vest. The second attacker also discharged his rifle into the crowd before blowing himself up. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility for the attack.

No statement

On August 1, 2017, a Shia mosque in Herat, Afghanistan, was attacked. 33 people were killed and 66 others were injured. Two men carried out the attack. One carried a suicide vest and the other was armed with a rifle. They entered the Jawadia mosque during an evening prayer session where approximately 300 people had gathered to worship. The first attacker flung bombs into the crowd before detonating his vest. The second attacker also discharged his rifle into the crowd before blowing himself up. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility for the attack.

No statement

On August 1, 2017, a Shia mosque in Herat, Afghanistan, was attacked. 33 people were killed and 66 others were injured. Two men carried out the attack. One carried a suicide vest and the other was armed with a rifle. They entered the Jawadia mosque during an evening prayer session where approximately 300 people had gathered to worship. The first attacker flung bombs into the crowd before detonating his vest. The second attacker also discharged his rifle into the crowd before blowing himself up. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility for the attack.

No statement

On August 1, 2017, a Shia mosque in Herat, Afghanistan, was attacked. 33 people were killed and 66 others were injured. Two men carried out the attack. One carried a suicide vest and the other was armed with a rifle. They entered the Jawadia mosque during an evening prayer session where approximately 300 people had gathered to worship. The first attacker flung bombs into the crowd before detonating his vest. The second attacker also discharged his rifle into the crowd before blowing himself up. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility for the attack.

No statement

On August 1, 2017, a Shia mosque in Herat, Afghanistan, was attacked. 33 people were killed and 66 others were injured. Two men carried out the attack. One carried a suicide vest and the other was armed with a rifle. They entered the Jawadia mosque during an evening prayer session where approximately 300 people had gathered to worship. The first attacker flung bombs into the crowd before detonating his vest. The second attacker also discharged his rifle into the crowd before blowing himself up. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility for the attack.

No statement

On April 18, 2015, fourteen Hazara men were traveling from the Malistan District to the Ajristan District in Ghazni, now part of Daikundi Province, to purchase livestock when they were abducted by Taliban fighters. The Taliban demanded that the government release their fighters who were detained and imprisoned by the Ghazni Department of Intelligence. After the government did not comply with their demands, the captives were subjected to several days of severe torture. Subsequently, four of them were beheaded by their captors and the other ten were later released.

No statement