Two former Afghan military personnel were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, according to police.
The shooting took place on Sunday evening near Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Quetta, according to reports. Police confirmed that the attack occurred but have not released the identities of the victims or further details about the investigation.
Sources indicated that the two men were associates of Basir Achakzai, a former Afghan military commander who relocated to Balochistan after the regime change in Afghanistan in 2021.
According to the sources, the victims were identified as Ahmad and Adib. Their identities and military backgrounds have not been independently confirmed by Pakistani authorities.
Basir Achakzai previously served as a commander in Dand and Zhari districts of Kandahar province and Gereshk district of Helmand province under Afghanistan’s former government, according to the report.
The shooting is the latest in a series of attacks targeting Afghan nationals and former members of Afghanistan’s security forces in Quetta.
Earlier this month, local sources reported that Hazratullah Achakzai, the former commander of Police District 2 in Kandahar, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Quetta. Two days later, unidentified attackers opened fire on a group of Afghan migrants in Quetta’s Hazara Ganji area, reportedly killing three Afghan citizens.
The incidents have heightened concerns among Afghan refugees and former Afghan security personnel living in Pakistan, many of whom fled to Balochistan following the political changes in Afghanistan in 2021.
Police said the investigation into the latest shooting is ongoing and that efforts are underway to identify those responsible.
