A local source has alleged that two Taliban fighters sexually assaulted a woman during a nighttime house search in Andkhoy, Faryab province, while the woman’s husband was away working in Iran.
According to the source, Taliban forces have been conducting house-to-house searches in several districts of Andkhoy for around two weeks, reportedly targeting homes of people who previously worked with the former Afghan government or national army, or who had participated in anti-Taliban uprisings. The searches are reportedly being carried out under the pretext of looking for weapons and ammunition.
The source alleges that on the night of September 7, two armed men identified as Mullah Hamidullah and Mullah Izatullah entered the home of a man identified as Akha Shamsuddin in Chaghorghoshlaq village. Shamsuddin had reportedly been working in Iran for about a year, leaving his wife and two young children at home.
The source claims the two men restrained the woman and sexually assaulted her. The allegations could not be independently verified.
According to the same account, Shamsuddin returned from Iran after learning about the alleged incident and filed a complaint in Khan Chahar Bagh district. The source claims that instead of receiving protection, he was arrested on allegations of cooperation with anti-Taliban groups and transferred to a Taliban intelligence detention facility in Maimana.
There has been no publicly confirmed response from Taliban authorities regarding the allegations, the reported assault, or Shamsuddin’s detention.
The allegations come amid broader reports of abuses and restrictions affecting civilians in Faryab and other parts of Afghanistan. Independent monitoring has documented continuing concerns over human rights and women’s safety under Taliban rule.