SECURITY — April 12, 2026
Herat Village Shooting Kills 11 per Taliban, 21 per Ex-Minister Spanta
Gunmen on motorcycles killed at least 11 civilians in Herat's Dehmiri village according to the Taliban, while former minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta claimed 21 deaths including women and children due to religious differences. No group has claimed responsibility amid accusations of Taliban involvement.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Hasht-e Subh — 2 min read
Gunmen riding motorcycles opened fire on civilians in Dehmiri village of Herat province's Anjil district on Friday, leaving a disputed number of dead.
Former Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta stated that 21 people, including women, children and men, were shot dead due to their different religion. He said many of the victims were Shiites and attributed the attack to the "historical barbarism" dominating the country.
The Taliban reported 11 people killed and some wounded in the incident. Officials said they had arrested one suspect but provided no further details on the investigation.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Critics of the Taliban accuse the group of coordinating the violence and spreading hatred against other religions.
Read the original reporting at Hasht-e Subh →
Reliability assessment
Single source with direct, on-record attribution from named former Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta via his X post, providing concrete details (21 killed, women/children, Herat). Taliban also acknowledges core event (11 killed, arrest), confirming incident occurred despite casualty discrepancy. 'Spanta said X' is verifiable fact.
The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Hasht-e Subh: "This all savagery can only stem from the historical barbarism ideology that has dominated our country today" - opinionated attribution of savagery and barbarism to the current rulers; "Many Taliban critics say that this action was carried out in coordination with the Taliban and this group spreads hatred against other religions" - amplifies unsubstantiated accusations with advocacy phrasing.
Independent web corroboration
A separate web search returned 8 matching reports. A selection:
The shooting took place around noon in Deh Miri village, near a shrine associated with Shia Muslims, according to multiple sources. Casualty figures varied in early reports.
- Multiple deaths reported as gunmen open fire on Shia families at Herat picnic site in Afghanistan | World News - The Indian Expressindianexpress.com
A doctor at a hospital in Herat told the BBC that those targeted were members of the Hazara Shia community. He said the group had travelled to a nearby shrine for a picnic.
The death toll from a shooting in western Afghanistan rose to 11 on Saturday... gunmen targeted civilians at a picnic spot in Herat... Sayed Mohammad Agha Shia shrine... Eleven people have been recorded dead and eight others wounded from Friday's incident.
- Death toll of W. Afghanistan shooting rises to 11-Xinhuaenglish.news.cn
Unknown armed men opened fire on a group of people at a picnic site in Injil district of Herat on Friday, leaving seven dead and injuring 13 others.
Across the newsrooms
Filed by
Hasht-e Subh
Originating
Framed
Framed
Filed under
Security — Herat, Anjil, Dehmiri, Rangin Spanta, Taliban
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