Negar, the most senior ranking female police officer in Helmand province, passed away in a hospital from critical injuries suffered in an attack by unidentified gunmen on Sunday.
Local Helmand officials on Sunday reported that Negar had been attacked by two gunmen in Lashkar Gah, the capital of the province, while on her way to the office. One of the assailants bullets had struck her in the neck.
Negar was 50-years old and had been working as policewoman for 30 years. She had been threatened on multiple occasions by the Taliban, and told to leave her office or face dire consequences. However, the Taliban has not yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Back in August, a policewoman was killed by insurgents in Helmand. Islam Bibi, was a Lieutenant, and had received a number of death threats from the Taliban prior to her assassination.
The recent targeting of female police officers is nothing new, both in terms of attacks on security personnel and violence against women. This year the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) reported that violence against women was on the rise in Afghanistan, despite attempts over the years to curtail it and empower women.
Local officials of northern Balkh province said on Monday that two women were found dead in the province. Balkh's Police Spokesman, Shir Jan Durani, said the bodies of the women were found in Nahr-e-Shahe district early Monday.
He added that the motive behind the killing has not been discovered, and the families of the women have also yet to be identified. But police have started an investigation into the incident.