HERAT: At least seven people were killed on Friday when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a rickshaw carrying two clerics in western Afghanistan, an official and residents said.

The official from Herat’s intelligence department said the attack happened in the Kora Milli area of the city, adding that seven people were killed and one wounded.

Locals said four women were among the dead and that both clerics were killed.

“They were returning home in a three-wheeler… when they were targeted by unknown gunmen with gunfire,” one resident told AFP. “The target of this shooting was probably two religious scholars,” he said. Violence has reduced dramatically since the Taliban ended their insurgency after seizing power in August 2021, but a number of armed factions — including the regional chapter of the militant Islamic State group — remain a threat.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2023