The bodies of a young man and woman, thought to have been lovers, have been found beheaded in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.
Provincial police official Juma Gul Hemmat said on October 23 that the two -- who were thought to be in their early 20s -- were killed late the previous day.
The woman had reportedly eloped with the man.
They were forcibly taken away from a house in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, by armed men who were believed to be the woman's relatives.
But Hemmat accused a local Taliban-linked militant, Haji Torjan, of responsibility for the murders.
Extramarital and premarital relationships are taboo in Afghanistan's conservative Islamic society.
Most marriages in the country are arranged by families, sometimes without consulting the chosen couples.
Provincial police official Juma Gul Hemmat said on October 23 that the two -- who were thought to be in their early 20s -- were killed late the previous day.
The woman had reportedly eloped with the man.
They were forcibly taken away from a house in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, by armed men who were believed to be the woman's relatives.
But Hemmat accused a local Taliban-linked militant, Haji Torjan, of responsibility for the murders.
Extramarital and premarital relationships are taboo in Afghanistan's conservative Islamic society.
Most marriages in the country are arranged by families, sometimes without consulting the chosen couples.