Officials in Afghanistan's western Herat province have said that a man cut his wife's nose and lips with a knife.
Sami Wafa, the governor's spokesman told BBC that the incident had occurred in Injil district near central Herat.
The police said the woman, 30-year-old Sitara, has been taken to hospital and is being treated.
Mr. Wafa said that her husband had asked his wife to give him her jewelry, but she had refused, and her husband had initially beaten her and then cut her nose and lips with a knife.
Herat governor's spokesperson said, “According to preliminary reports, Sitara has been stabbed several times on her head too. Ms. Sitara’s husband was a drug addict and had intended to sell her jewelry for buying drugs.”
They had three children together and Sitara’s relatives said that they had had verbal arguments before too. According to her relatives these arguments arose because Sitara wanted her husband to fight his addiction.
Images of this woman circulating in social networks is heartbreaking.
Mrs. Sitara’s husband has escaped but the Herat police said efforts to find and arrest him have started started.
This is the third incident of violence against women recorded in the past 48 hours in Afghanistan.
The rate of domestic violence, especially violence against women is very high in Afghanistan.
Originally published on Dec. 13, 2013
Sitara lying injured in the hospital. (Photo: Hashimi/DW)