News Center _ On April 10, unidentified gunmen in Herat province opened fire on a group of civilians who had gathered for receation near a shrine in the village of Deh-e Mahri, resulting in the deaths of a number of civilians.

UNAMA confirmed that women and children were among the victims of the armed attack that targeted civilians in Herat province in recent days, calling for a thorough investigation into the incident.

The mission explained that the attack occurred in Deh-e Mahri village in Injil district, killing at least 11 people and injuring 11 others. Although a final casualty count isn’t yet available, data from Herat hospitals indicate that five women were among the dead and wounded, while local Taliban officials spoke of two women killed according to initial figures.

The Acting Head of the Mission and Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretarv-General for Afghanistan called for ensuring accountability and conducting a full investigation, emphasizing the importance of protecting civilians under all circumstances.

The incident has sparked widespread condemnation among civil society activists, human rights defenders, and seversl political figures, while the Taliban movement has so far not released any additional details, nor has any group claimed responsibility for the attack.