Residents of Nili, the provincial capital of Daykundi, are raising serious concerns about a sharp rise in armed robberies across the city. Residents say armed thieves are breaking into homes around the clock, making off with everything they can find. The ongoing situation has left families living in constant fear, and many are reluctant to speak out publicly out of fear of Taliban retaliation. The Hasht-e Subh Daily reviewed footage recorded at several of the targeted homes, showing broken doors, ransacked rooms, and torn-open boxes and luggage. Sources have also confirmed that the homes of some local Taliban officials were burglarized during the Eid al-Adha holiday period.
Residents who spoke to the Hasht-e Subh Daily said armed robberies have surged in recent months, leaving the community deeply shaken. When victims turn to Taliban security bodies for help, they are told to submit written petitions and name their suspects. Many residents insist that Taliban fighters are either directly involved in the thefts or are actively working with the thieves, and that people are too afraid for their lives to name those responsible.
One Daykundi resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “The robberies have turned people’s lives into a nightmare. In roughly one week alone, more than 18 homes in the provincial capital were broken into.”
The same resident added: “When we go to the [Taliban] criminal and security departments and report that our home has been robbed, they tell us: if you have a suspect and a witness, come file a petition; otherwise, leave and stop wasting our time.” The resident said five homes were robbed in a single day on one street in the Nili New Township.
The Hasht-e Subh Daily reviewed several videos filmed at homes in the aftermath of the break-ins. The footage shows shattered doors, household items thrown across rooms, and boxes and bags ripped apart. Sources say the homes of some local Taliban officials who had traveled to their home provinces during the Eid holiday were also targeted.
The Hasht-e Subh Daily has chosen not to publish videos or the content of recorded conversations to protect its sources. According to those sources, the stolen items include cash, electronic devices such as laptops, official documents, and various household belongings. Sources add that even some local Taliban officials are staying silent about the break-ins at their own homes, fearing reprisals from the group’s intelligence apparatus.
Meanwhile, residents of the Daykundi provincial capital say thieves are now bold enough to break into homes in broad daylight. At least two such accounts were independently verified through an open-source review conducted for this report.
Social media users from Daykundi have also posted warnings that thieves are no longer waiting for the cover of darkness. They have urged residents to store cash, jewelry, and important documents in more secure locations.
One resident recounted that thieves entered his home in the middle of the afternoon a few weeks ago. One of the suspects was arrested and handed over to a Taliban checkpoint, only to be freed the next day. When the resident filed a petition at the Taliban’s security commandant’s office, he was threatened by the checkpoint commander. “They told me to tell the [Taliban] security commandant that we had settled the matter among ourselves,” he said. “Out of fear and with no other choice, I had to say that we had, because they threatened me directly.”
Daykundi residents say that hardly a day passes without news of another break-in, and that people are constantly asking which neighborhood was hit next. The relentless cycle, they say, has made it impossible to feel safe.
One source said, “There is not a single day or night without a theft. In the provincial capital, in broad daylight, a home that was empty for just one hour was completely cleaned out. They took 80,000 afghanis in cash alone.”
These accounts come against a broader backdrop of mounting concern across the country over the rise in armed robberies. Citizens have repeatedly reported that some thieves pose as Taliban intelligence operatives, entering homes under the pretext of conducting searches before looting them.
Separately, residents of the Baghlan-e Markazi area previously told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that thieves arrested by the Taliban were freed from the group’s courts after paying bribes. They also alleged that some Taliban members forged identity documents for the criminals and transferred SIM cards into their names. According to these residents, several Taliban members are either colluding with thieves or participating in the robberies themselves. People, they said, are not only avoiding going public with these claims but are also steering clear of Taliban institutions entirely, fearing interrogation and threats if they do.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
امنیت ادعایی طالبان؛ دزدان در دایکندی در روز روشن وارد خانهها میشوند
