News Desk
According to foreign news agencie a Chinese national was killed by unidentified armed assailants while traveling in Afghanistan’s northern Takhar province near the border with Tajikistan.
Provincial police spokesperson Mohammad Akbar Haqqani stated that the Chinese citizen was traveling without informing security authorities, and the purpose of his trip remains unclear. Typically, Chinese nationals are accompanied by security personnel during their travels, he added.
Haqqani also confirmed that the local translator traveling with the Chinese citizen was unharmed.
Taliban government spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, Abdul Matin Qani, corroborated the incident and revealed that the Chinese citizen was a businessman involved in a mining contract in Afghanistan.
The motive for the murder remains unknown, and it is unclear whether any terrorist group was involved. As of now, the Chinese embassy in Kabul has not issued a statement, nor has any group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Despite ongoing security concerns in Afghanistan, Chinese companies and investors have continued to engage in business activities in the region. Just a day before the incident, officials from both nations celebrated the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in Kabul.
Since the Taliban assumed power in 2021, they have pledged to restore security in the war-torn country. However, groups like ISIS and other terrorist organizations have carried out numerous attacks. These include the December 2022 attack on Chinese investors in Kabul.
