Mob kills and burns woman in heart of Afghan capital

(Reuters) - A mob in the Afghan capital killed a woman, set her body on fire and threw it into a muddy river in the heart of Kabul on Thursday, a police official said.

The motive for the killing, which took place in a busy area of downtown Kabul, was not immediately known, the official said, asking not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
While Afghanistan is struggling to emerge from the suppression of women under Taliban rule that began in the 1990s, such public attacks, especially in the capital, remain unusual.

Women's rights have made gains since the 2001 ousting of the militants, who follow a hardline interpretation of Islamic law, but observers worry that progress is at risk as widespread violence against women persists and women remain under-represented in politics and public life.

A 2013 U.N. report noted that most violence against women goes underreported, particularly in rural areas.  Read More

Mob kills and burns woman in heart of Afghan capital

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