Zabihullah Amiri, the Taliban’s head of the Information and Culture Department in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province, was killed in a targeted shooting on Tuesday, while traveling from his home in Baharak district to his office in the provincial capital, Faizabad, Taliban authorities said.
As reported by IRAF, Taliban authorities confirmed Amiri’s killing and said one of the two attackers was killed in an exchange of fire with his security guards. A second assailant, who initially fled the scene, was later arrested by Taliban forces.
The authorities have not released further details about the attack or identified the assailants.
According to information released by Taliban officials, Amiri was traveling from his residence in Baharak to his office in Faizabad when two men on a motorcycle blocked his vehicle and opened fire. The circumstances suggest the attack was premeditated.
Taliban forces said Amiri’s driver was also wounded in the attack.
Following the shooting, Taliban forces cordoned off the area and later detained the second suspect. The identity, motive and possible affiliations of the attackers remain unknown.
Amiri’s body was first taken to a medical facility in Baharak before being transferred to Faizabad.
Amiri was one of the Taliban’s best-known officials in northeastern Afghanistan. He was a nephew of Amanuddin Mansour, a prominent Badakhshan-born Tajik Taliban commander.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, Amiri was appointed head of the Information and Culture Department in Badakhshan. The department oversees media affairs, issues media licenses, supervises journalists, manages the Taliban’s official communications in the province, and is responsible for cultural affairs, tourism and historical sites.
He also served as one of the Taliban’s principal public voices in Badakhshan, regularly briefing the media on major developments in the province, including security incidents, natural disasters and administrative decisions.
Over the past two years, Amiri frequently appeared in media reports. During major floods in Badakhshan, he provided updates on damage and road closures and announced the deployment of Taliban personnel to reopen transport routes.
He also declared the end of protests over the destruction of poppy fields in Badakhshan and said security had been restored following demonstrations that resulted in casualties among both civilians and Taliban members.
Several weeks ago, Amiri announced that Juma Khan Fateh, following internal disagreements, had accepted a position within the Taliban intelligence apparatus and was due to be transferred to Kabul, a statement that received broad media attention in Afghanistan.
No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Although the ISPK has previously claimed responsibility for attacks targeting Taliban officials, there is currently no official account identifying those behind the shooting, and attributing responsibility to any particular group would be speculative.
The killing is significant because it took place near the provincial capital on one of Badakhshan’s main roads, raising questions about security in the province. Amiri’s death may also affect the Taliban’s media and public communications in Badakhshan, where he had served as a key public representative.
The attack also underscores Badakhshan’s continuing security challenges for the Taliban administration, as the province has experienced local tensions alongside an increase in armed opposition activity in recent months.
As of the time of publication, the only confirmed facts are that Amiri was killed in an armed attack, one alleged attacker was killed, another was arrested, and no group has claimed responsibility for the operation.
