www.bbc.com
Afghanistan: Taliban accused of murdering female police officer
The killing comes amid increasing reports of escalating repression of women in Afghanistan.
International
Taliban militants in Afghanistan have shot dead a policewoman in a provincial city, relatives have told the BBC.
The woman, named in local media as Banu Negar, was killed at the family home in front of relatives in Firozkoh, the capital of central Ghor province.
The killing comes amid increasing reports of escalating repression of women in Afghanistan.
The BBC has asked Taliban authorities for comment. The local Taliban promised to investigate, the family says.
Details of the incident are still sketchy as many in Firozkoh fear retribution if they speak out. Relatives supplied graphic images showing blood spattered on a wall in the corner of a room and a body, the face heavily disfigured.
One report suggested Negar, who worked at the local prison, was eight months pregnant. The Taliban involved were heard speaking Arabic, a witness said.
Since taking power on 13 August, the Taliban has sought to portray itself as more tolerant than its reputation, but incidents of brutality and repression are still being reported in parts of the country.
Human rights groups have been documenting revenge killings, detentions and persecution of religious minorities. The Taliban has said officially that it will not seek retribution against those who worked for the former government.
On Saturday, Taliban officials broke up a demonstration by dozens of women in Kabul demanding the continuation of rights built up since the end of the Taliban's previous spell in power.
The group say the Taliban targeted them with tear gas and pepper spray as they tried to walk from a bridge to the presidential palace.