SAA event in Afghanistan on Thu 22nd January 2026

On January 22, two young men identified as Shah Nazar and Ghulam Hussein from the Ismaili community were wounded after being shot by unidentified armed assailants in the Dasht-e Qargh area of Faizabad in the capital of Badakhshan Province, reports Afghanistan International. Both men were residents of Shighnan District and were targeted as they were closing their shop and heading home. The assailants reportedly opened fire from inside a vehicle before fleeing the scene. Taliban local officials have not commented on the incident. The attack comes amid growing concerns over violence against the Ismaili community in Badakhshan. A report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that during the first three months of 2025, Taliban officials coerced more than 50 Ismaili Muslims into converting to Sunni Islam, using beatings, intimidation and death threats against those who refused.