Taliban Detains Former Afghan Army Commander and Son in Badghis

Local sources told Afghanistan International that Taliban forces arrested Brigadier General Abdul Salam, a former commander of the 1st Kandak of the 3rd Brigade of the 207th Zafar Corps during the Republic era, and his son Abdul Matin in Badghis province on February 7. The sources said Abdul Salam, who lived in Herat, had traveled to Badghis to sell a piece of land. Relatives searching for him led to Abdul Matin's detention in Qala-i-Naw, the provincial capital, where witnesses reported armed men hooded him in the market and took him to an unknown location. Taliban officials have not confirmed the arrests.

The detentions come amid concerns from human rights organizations and UN agencies over Taliban arrests of former Republic-era soldiers and officers. UNAMA's quarterly report documented at least 28 arbitrary detentions and seven cases of torture or ill-treatment of former government officials and security force members. UNAMA noted many targeted individuals had recently returned from Iran or Pakistan.

UNAMA also reported that Taliban promotion of virtue agents arbitrarily detained at least 520 people from October 1 to December 31, 2025, including 50 cases of mistreatment of women and men. In a separate incident, a Taliban court ordered the detention of an underage girl for refusing forced marriage; she remains in provincial prison. UNAMA highlighted multiple gender-based violence cases, including forced marriages, despite a 2021 Taliban decree prohibiting them. The Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue claimed to have resolved 806 women's rights cases in the same period.

UNAMA further stated that Taliban restrictions since September 7, 2023, continue to bar female Afghan UN staff from offices nationwide, with advocacy ongoing for access. Sources previously told Afghanistan International that Taliban affiliates threatened female UN workers' families.