Taliban forces have begun construction on privately owned land in Andisha township, a predominantly Hazara residential area in Herat’s Guzara district, without the consent of landowners, who say they have received no explanation about the purpose of the construction or the future of their properties.
Residents said Taliban armed personnel had been carrying out construction work on more than 10 jeribs (approximately five acres) of private land for the past three days. They alleged that the work was being conducted forcibly, without consultation with local residents or landowners.
The residents said they were uncertain whether the Taliban intended to construct government facilities on the land or had allocated it to individuals for private housing.
According to local sources, the Taliban had prohibited residents from constructing buildings on or buying and selling the disputed properties for approximately 18 months. Construction has now begun on more than 10 jeribs of vacant land within the township, while the authorities have yet to clarify its legal status or intended use.
Videos shared by residents show workers carrying out construction activities on the disputed land.
More than 3,000 families, predominantly belonging to the Hazara community, live in Andisha township, which was established approximately two decades ago with official permission from the previous Afghan government.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Justice declared the township’s land government-owned in early 2025 and subsequently directed residents to vacate their homes on several occasions. However, residents said forced evictions had not yet begun.
The latest construction activity has heightened concerns among families over losing their privately owned land and homes. Residents said they had repeatedly approached the Taliban’s relevant institutions but had received no clear response regarding the ownership and future of their properties.
The dispute comes amid a broader Taliban campaign to identify and reclaim land declared government property across Afghanistan.
On September 26, the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice announced that it had identified and reclaimed more than four million jeribs of land as government property across the country over the preceding four years. The ministry also said that land in 49 residential townships had been fully or partially classified as government-owned.
Earlier, sources within the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice said the Commission for the Restitution of Seized Lands had included Hazara and Shia residential settlements in its review agenda. The Taliban authorities have declared land in several Hazara-populated townships in Kabul, Ghazni, Balkh and Herat, among other areas, as government property.
The Taliban authorities have not provided a public explanation for the latest construction activity or addressed the landowners’ concerns.
