A growing number of civilians killed at Taliban security checkpoints

A growing number of civilians have been killed by Taliban security guards at checkpoints throughout Afghanistan in recent months, in an increase in violence that some see as a deliberate attempt to intimidate the public.

A woman was killed and two others were injured on Saturday after Taliban security forces opened fire on a rickshaw in Kandahar city in the south.

The incident was confirmed by two Taliban officials, Mahmoud Ezam, the provincial governor's spokesperson; and Noor Ahmad Saeed, the provincial director of information and culture.

The officials said that the driver of the vehicle had failed to stop at the security checkpoint despite being ordered to do so.

Those behind the incident on Saturday have been detained, the officials added.

The incident follows a similar shooting on Friday. A physician was killed by Taliban forces at a checkpoint in Kabul's police district three, allegedly for the same reason.

A further six similar deadly shootings have occurred in Badakhshan, Herat, Balkh, and Kabul provinces since December, dpa has learned.

The victims included a child, a physician, a taxi driver, a government employee, a young woman and a young man.

officials from the Taliban's Interior Ministry visited the homes of three of the victims in Kabul, promising their families justice.

Despite the Taliban's claim to have restored security throughout the country, extra-judicial killings, kidnappings, arbitrary detentions, and shootings are reported on a daily basis.

Afghan military and political analyst Asadullah Nadim believes that these incidents are not accidental but are deliberate Taliban policies and are an intimidation tactic used effectively by the extremists in the past.

"The Taliban are deliberately intimidating the people," Nadim said. "It is their philosophy to intimidate people and make them obedient."