Reports emerging from western Afghanistan indicate that Taliban security forces opened fire on protesters in Herat on Tuesday after large numbers of residents gathered to demonstrate against the detention of women and girls accused of violating dress code regulations.
According to local sources and video footage obtained by media outlets, dozens of residents took to the streets in the Jibrail township, northwest of Herat city, to protest recent detentions carried out by Taliban morality enforcement authorities. Eyewitness accounts indicate that several protesters were injured when security forces reportedly fired on the crowd in an attempt to disperse the demonstration.
Sources said at least two injured individuals were taken to hospital for medical treatment, while others received first aid at the scene. Witnesses further reported that firing continued intermittently as security personnel attempted to regain control of the situation, with demonstrations continuing in parts of the city.
The protest reportedly began in District 13 of Jibrail township, where residents gathered in support of women and girls detained in recent days by officials from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The demonstrators expressed anger over what they described as increasing enforcement actions targeting women for alleged violations of dress code requirements.
According to eyewitnesses, the most intense confrontation occurred near an intersection locally known as “Bahar-e Zendagi,” where protesters were marching through the area before security forces intervened.
The Taliban authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
The demonstration follows several days of rising public tension in Herat over reported detentions of women and girls. Local sources previously informed media outlets that dozens of women had been taken into custody in recent days, including at least 21 cases independently confirmed by multiple sources.
The developments have drawn international concern. On Monday, Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, expressed deep alarm over reports of mass detentions in Herat, warning of worsening conditions for women and girls in the country.
The issue was also raised at the United Nations Security Council, where the acting head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Georgette Gagnon, reported that approximately 30 women had been detained in Herat by morality enforcement authorities for alleged non-compliance with dress code regulations.
The protest was reportedly preceded by the circulation of flyers across Herat calling on residents to gather on Tuesday morning in support of the detained women, contributing to what observers described as one of the most significant public demonstrations in recent months against Taliban policies.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed a series of restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education, limitations on employment, and increasingly strict rules governing public dress and movement.
The latest unrest in Herat underscores growing tensions between local communities and authorities over the enforcement of these measures, highlighting continued instability and public discontent in parts of the country.
