Sources in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province, say the Taliban beat an elderly man to death with punches and kicks on Friday afternoon in a street near a local madrassa, accusing him of stealing 2,000 Afghanis.
Sources confirmed to Hasht-e Subh Daily on Friday, 21 November, that the man was violently assaulted by Taliban members in front of dozens of passersby.
According to the sources, residents merely watched the incident and did not intervene.
Local sources add that the elderly man came from a poor family in one of the villages surrounding Taloqan and had been struggling with severe financial hardship in recent months.
Widespread poverty and the lack of employment opportunities following the Taliban’s return to power have driven an increasing number of people to theft out of financial desperation.
