Several residents of Kabul have complained about a rise in armed home robberies in recent days. They say that thieves operate in organized groups, entering homes at night and stealing people’s belongings. According to them, in some cases, the thieves also harm individuals inside the houses in addition to committing theft. They add that these armed individuals introduce themselves as members of the Taliban and enter homes under the pretext of conducting searches.
Ahmad Soroush, a resident of Kabul’s District 18, expresses concern over the increase in armed and group robberies in the city. He says that in the past week, three houses in their area were robbed in a single night. According to him, the thieves enter people’s homes in groups without fear and steal their property. He adds that even installed security cameras have not been able to prevent such incidents.
Mr. Soroush says, “There are cameras in our alley, but they have no effect. Imagine that in one night, about 280,000 US dollars were stolen from a single house, the father of the family was killed, and the people inside the house were severely beaten and tortured. With such incidents, how can one say that security is ensured? I am truly shocked by this situation. The Taliban must take responsibility, protect people’s lives and property, and address the public’s problems instead of making slogans.”
Shir Agha, a resident of Kabul’s District 6, also considers the increase in armed and group robberies in the city to be alarming. He says that recently, armed thieves robbed his cousin’s son’s house as well. According to him, his cousin’s son, due to distrust and fear, has not referred to the relevant authorities to follow up on his stolen property.
This Kabul resident says, “Thefts have increased significantly. In my own family, my cousin’s son’s house was robbed. He goes to work, and his wife has gone out for her sister’s wedding. When he returned from work, he saw that the door had been broken and all his belongings had been taken. The situation has become very bad; one can no longer leave the house and go out with peace of mind. We demand that serious attention be given to this situation.”
Salem, another resident of Kabul, says that armed robberies have also increased in their area in recent days, creating serious concerns among the public. According to him, thieves have recently been using various methods to steal people’s property. Salem states that rising unemployment and economic problems are among the main reasons for the increase in such incidents. He calls on the Taliban to take serious measures to reduce these occurrences.
This Kabul resident says, “Recently, theft has increased. Three nights ago, around 9 p.m., a house in our alley was also robbed; however, by the grace of God, the thieves could not take the goods with them because people became aware and they fled. People have become hungry, the economic situation is bad, and unemployment has increased.”
However, Ahad, a resident of Kabul’s District 7, says that armed robberies also occur in their area, but not on a large scale. According to him, residents, due to experiencing more horrific incidents, consider such cases less significant. He says: “We live in District 7 of Kabul city. Here, we rarely hear about theft incidents and are not very aware of what is happening in other parts of Kabul; it may be more frequent there, as such conditions exist in central districts.”
After regaining control of Kabul, the Taliban have repeatedly spoken of establishing “sustainable security” across Afghanistan, especially in the capital. However, the increase in armed robberies in Kabul, which is considered a symbol of Taliban rule, has called these claims into question. According to Kabul residents, in many cases armed thieves steal vehicles such as cars and motorcycles, as well as mobile phones, from citizens, and in cases of resistance, they injure victims and sometimes even kill them. Despite this, the Taliban continue in their speeches and statements to emphasize the provision of security for citizens, while denying or downplaying the occurrence of such incidents.
At the same time, the “Global Peace Index 2025” report also presents a concerning picture of Afghanistan’s security situation. According to this report, Afghanistan remains among the most unstable countries in the world, ranking as the fifth most unsafe country globally and the most unstable country in South Asia. In the safety and security category, Afghanistan ranks 163rd, placing it at the lowest global position, and the level of peace in the country has decreased by 0.28 percent. In addition, Afghanistan has received the worst possible score, 5 out of 5, in critical indicators.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
