Some residents of Herat province claim that the increase in armed robberies has unsettled them. According to them, armed thieves block the paths of pedestrians even within the Taliban’s security zones and forcibly loot their belongings. This is happening despite the Taliban’s repeated assurances of providing nationwide security, an assertion yet to materialize.
Based on videos sent to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, recorded by surveillance cameras, armed robbers fearlessly carry out thefts in the most secure areas of Herat city.
Safiullah, residing in the Spinaday neighborhood of Herat city, recounts how armed thieves stole his motorcycle and mobile phone near a Taliban checkpoint. He adds, “It was 10:00 in the morning before lunch when I stepped out of my home. A motorcycle stopped next to me with two riders. One person got off, pointed a gun at my ear, and demanded my phone. He threatened to shoot me if I moved. What’s surprising is that our house is barely 100 meters from the Taliban checkpoint, and unless it’s a collusion, no thief would dare engage in armed robbery within 100 meters of a Taliban checkpoint. These days, mobile phones and motorcycles are frequently stolen from this very area where we live, and the Taliban remain silent.”
Residents of Herat report that armed robberies have increased not only in the city center but also in several districts of the province. Residents of Kushk Rubat-i-Sangin district state that armed thefts in their district have unprecedentedly risen, with the Taliban so far failing to contain them.
Abdulhai, a resident of Char Dara village in this district of Herat province, mentions that their area had never experienced armed robberies before, but in recent weeks, they have witnessed several incidents. Abdulhai adds, “In my entire life, I had never seen theft in our village, but now we witness thefts daily or weekly. Two or three times a week, people from our village have cash and motorcycles stolen. Just two days ago, when my son was going to the market, armed robbers intercepted him on the way, taking 20,000 Afghanis in cash and his motorcycle.”
This resident of Herat further remarks, “Hunger and misery have reached their peak. Theft has become so rampant that I cannot recall a time in any era or government when theft occurred to this extent. They take cash and motorcycles just steps away from homes, and nobody is accountable.”
Meanwhile, the Taliban acknowledge the increase in armed robberies in Herat and claim to be actively working to reduce them. The Taliban security command in Herat province has stated that during the current month, they have detained more than 150 individuals in the province on various criminal charges. The Taliban emphasize that while armed robberies have increased in the province, they are striving to curb them. They assert that thieves primarily target vehicles and residents’ phones, which are also pursued by their fighters.
Residents of Herat express concerns over the rise in armed robberies, echoing reports of increased thefts in several other provinces as well.
The Hasht-e Subh Daily previously obtained information indicating that residents of Jabal Saraj district in Parwan province have been experiencing nightly raids and they are compelled to set up night watch.
In such circumstances, the Taliban have repeatedly claimed to have ensured nationwide security and declared that no one is capable of committing theft. However, in practice, people in cities and districts are increasingly alarmed by armed robberies.