The Murder of a Young Girl by Her Brother in Maidan Wardak Over Marrying by Her Own Choice

The incident occurred on Thursday (January 9) in the Hisa-e-Awal Behsud area of the province.

A source close to Sohaila’s family stated that she was killed by her brother, Abdul Ahmad, due to her decision to marry the boy of her choice after months of opposition and threats.

According to the source, Abdul Ahmad first stabbed his sister four times in the back and then slit her throat to kill her.

The source explained that earlier this spring, Sohaila had decided to marry a boy from their area, but the decision faced opposition from their families. Following these disagreements, Sohaila and the boy were forced to run away from home.

The source added: "After some time, local elders mediated, and an agreement was reached under which the groom's family paid 300,000 Afghanis to Sohaila's family. Despite this agreement, family disputes continued, ultimately leading to Sohaila’s tragic murder."

One of Sohaila’s neighbors stated, "Sohaila only wanted to choose her own life. This incident has shocked all of us. Families must refrain from such violence."

Reports indicate that Abdul Ahmad was arrested by Taliban forces after the incident and is now being held in a local prison.

This incident comes at a time when cases of women and girls being killed by their family members have been on the rise recently.

According to reports, in recent weeks, at least six women have been murdered by their close relatives in the provinces of Badakhshan, Baghlan, Faryab, Herat, and Badghis. These killings highlight the increasing domestic violence under the shadow of the Taliban's restrictions and policies against women.