The assassination of General Ikramuddin Sari, the former police commander of Takhar province, and one of his associates in Tehran has triggered widespread reactions from Afghan politicians and political factions.

According to Ansar News Agency, General Ikramuddin Sari and another former military officer were shot dead on Wednesday evening at Valiasr Square in Tehran.

The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and Iranian authorities have so far made no public comment on the incident.=

The killing comes amid a pattern of similar attacks: several months ago, a commander close to Ismail Khan, a former jihadist leader, was also assassinated in Mashhad, Iran.=

Following the Taliban`s return to power in Afghanistan, a number of former Afghan military officers and senior officials fled to Iran and sought refuge there.

Ikramuddin Sari, who moved to Tehran after the Taliban takeover, was a vocal opponent of Taliban policies and had repeatedly criticized the group for the killing of former officials and security personnel.

An Organized Crime and a Call for an Iranian Investigation

Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Acting Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations, said the killing of the two former senior military officers-General Ikramuddin Sari and Mohammad Amin Almas-in the heart of Tehran constitutes "an organized crime and a serious alarm."

Faiq stated that the elimination of former Afghan military personnel continues even in exile and that the perpetrators appear to enjoy complete impunity.

He added: "Silence in the face of this crime amounts to complicity. We strongly condemn this act and call for an immediate, transparent investigation and for holding both the perpetrators and those who ordered the crime accountable."

The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan also issued a statement saying: "This is not the first time that prominent military and security figures of our country have been targeted by assassinations in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This tragic incident has sparked deep anger and concern among the people, especially among our refugees."

The Front called on the Iranian government to conduct a serious, transparent, and independent investigation and to identify and bring to justice those responsible for planning, carrying out, and supporting the attack.

The Jamiat-e Islami Party of Afghanistan also said in a statement that the killing of Ikramuddin Sari and Mohammad Amin Almas is "a matter of grave concern."

The party added: "It is expected that the relevant authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran will take action to identify the perpetrators of such killings and bring them before the law and justice."

Pointing the Finger at the Taliban

The Afghanistan Freedom Front held the Taliban responsible for the assassination of the two former officers, stating that the group "considers former Afghan military personnel a potential threat to its illegitimate and unlawful rule and, over the past four years, has recognized no geographical, religious, moral, or legal boundaries in pursuing, threatening, assassinating, and eliminating them."

The Front urged the Iranian government, in line with international norms, Islamic values, and humanitarian commitments, to take "immediate and effective measures to protect the lives of Afghan refugees-especially former military personnel-and to identify and punish the perpetrators and masterminds of this crime in accordance with the law."

It also called on Iran to halt the deportation of former Afghan military personnel, noting that credible and documented reports indicate that deported officers have been subjected by the Taliban to arrest, torture, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial killing.

The Front further appealed to the United Nations, on the basis of its legal and moral responsibilities, to facilitate the immediate and safe transfer of former Afghan military personnel from Iran to secure third countries.

Amrullah Saleh, former Vice President of Afghanistan, said: "The belief among the Afghan people-especially within the anti-Taliban community-is that the Taliban are responsible for this crime, given the group`s record and policies, which are closely associated with such acts."

He added: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has significant capabilities to address complex and wide-ranging security challenges. I hope Iranian authorities will mobilize all necessary resources and capacities to identify the individuals and networks involved in this crime and bring them to justice."

Saleh said he was confident that Iranian officials would "pay full attention to all aspects and dimensions of this shocking incident during the investigation."

Since returning to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have been widely accused of killing, torturing, and arbitrarily detaining former government officials and security personnel.

While the group claims it has declared and adheres to a general amnesty, the United Nations has documented numerous cases of killings and torture of former officials and military members.