Prominent rights activist gunned down in Afghanistan

Abdul Rahman Mawin shot dead by unknown assailants in eastern Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

A prominent civil society activist was gunned down in Afghanistan's restive eastern Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan on Tuesday amid an ongoing targeted assassination spree.

According to eye-witnesses, the incident took place during the morning rush hour in the provincial capital, Jalalabad city. Shad Noor, the brother of deceased activist Abdul Rahmad Mawin, has also confirmed the incident.

Mawin was driving his car when the assailants riding an auto-rickshaw opened fire at him before fleeing from the scene in the 4th district of the city, according to the local Killid Radio.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack so far.

With the rise to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the assassination spree has not ceased in the war-ravaged country.

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The Taliban last week claimed dismantling a Da’ish/ISIS hideout in the capital Kabul, blamed for many of such attacks.

But days after that the group claimed orchestrating targeted killings in Nangarhar and Parwan provinces as well as a massive suicide bombing in a Shia community mosque in the northern Kunduz province, killing more than 50 people.

Prior to that, at least eight people were killed in another Da’ish-claimed suicide attack at a mosque in Kabul where people had gathered for a memorial service for the late mother of Zabihullah Mujahid, acting deputy information minister in the interim Taliban administration.