Afghan Taliban forces opened fire on demonstrators in the western city of Herat on 9 June during protests against the reported detention of women and girls for alleged violations of hijab rules. Local media reported casualties, while Taliban officials defended the security response and denied that any women had been arrested.
According to Afghan media reports, the protest took place in the Shia-majority Jebrail area of Herat. Estimates of the toll varied: Etilaat-e Roz reported that at least three people, including a child, were wounded, while Hasht-e Sobh said at least two people were killed and nearly 30 others injured after Taliban fighters opened fire on protesters.
Videos shared by Afghan media outlets and social media users appeared to show security forces dispersing demonstrators with gunfire and sticks. Another video circulated on 10 June allegedly showing a Taliban member shooting a woman at close range.
The unrest followed reports on 6 and 7 June that Taliban morality enforcers had detained more than 20 women in Herat for allegedly violating dress code regulations. The reports were echoed by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, which expressed concern over multiple arrests and detentions of women in the city.
Taliban authorities have repeatedly denied that any arrests took place. Officials from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice dismissed media reports as false and claimed videos of the alleged detentions were AI-generated. Herat police said security forces intervened to restore public order after protesters disrupted the area.
The crackdown has drawn widespread condemnation from Afghan opposition figures, armed anti-Taliban groups, and international human rights organizations. UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International criticized the use of force against protesters and called for respect for the rights of women and peaceful demonstrators.
The incident is likely to increase international scrutiny of the Taliban’s treatment of women and civil liberties, while further intensifying criticism of the group’s enforcement of social restrictions in Afghanistan.
