KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — It was a daddy-daughter moment. I t turned into a reminder of the lasting trauma of the intensifying conflict in Afghanistan.

Amanullah Watandost, 42, who was employed by an Afghan security unit that works closely with the C.I.A., was behind the wheel of his Toyota Corolla on Thursday afternoon. His 3-year-old daughter, Madina, wearing a dress with a pink bottom and two pink bows, was in the seat next to him. They were out shopping for groceries in Arghandab, a district in the south that has long been a hotbed of Taliban militants.

Mr. Watandost was particularly close to his daughter , often bringing her along wherever he went. He and his wife had adopted Madina after not being able to have a child of their own in 20 years of marriage, according to family members. Mr. Watandost had lost four of his brothers to the war; like him, they all worked for the security forces.

Madina was his distraction from the sorrow weighing down the family.

On a quiet stretch of the road, an assassin pulled up and emptied three rounds into Mr. Watandost through the car window. No one else was close enough to hear the gunshots.