Local residents say Taliban have increased patrols and checkpoints across Herat, a day after protest in northwest of the city against recent arrests of women by Taliban.
The Jebrail area in northwest of Herat City is the most affected, local residents said, adding that Taliban members are seen patrolling in every corner of the area.
Amidst shower of condemnations of Taliban arrests of women in Herat, the Taliban-run information and culture directorate in the province posted brochures about the “importance” of hijab for women, an act that residents say the Taliban are still insisting on their stance on recent restrictions on women.
Residents said women and girls were noticeably absent from public spaces on Wednesday, June 10, especially in Jebrail, a predominantly Hazara neighborhood that became the focal point of the protests.
“Since Tuesday, there have been two Taliban vehicles in every alley,” one resident said. “People cannot leave their homes freely. If someone goes outside, their phones are checked. The situation is very bad.”
Another resident described the atmosphere as tense and intimidating.
“The situation is extremely tense. People are frightened. Taliban members are patrolling every street,” the resident said. “The situation for women is especially difficult. Some people who took part in the protest have not been seen since.”
Sources also said Taliban detained a number of male protesters following the demonstrations. Some residents and local shopkeepers in Jebrail were reportedly taken into custody and transferred to unknown locations. Their whereabouts remain unclear.
The protest erupted after Taliban morality police detained dozens of women and girls in Herat over alleged violations of the Taliban’s prescribed dress code.
Sources previously told Amu TV that at least 35 women were detained from several parts of the city in recent days. The arrests followed a directive from Taliban warning that women who appeared in public without the group’s approved form of dress could face detention.
Scores of residents took to the streets on Tuesday to protest the arrests. Witnesses said Taliban forces responded by opening fire to disperse the crowd.
According to local sources, at least two people were killed and 15 others wounded in the crackdown. Taliban have not publicly commented on the casualty figures.
Videos from the protest showed women chanting slogans calling for freedom as demonstrators confronted Taliban security forces.
The crackdown has drawn criticism from activists and international officials. Richard Bennett, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, said he was alarmed by the use of force against what appeared to be peaceful protesters and called for accountability.
The United Kingdom’s special envoy for Afghanistan also expressed concern over reports of violence against demonstrators and urged respect for freedom of expression.
Despite growing criticism, Taliban officials have denied carrying out mass arrests of women in Herat. In a discussion on X, the spokesman for the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice dismissed reports of the detentions as propaganda.
