According to residents, the Taliban have been conducting sweeping house searches around the Afghan capital, a strategy that the group’s spokesman said was intended to discover criminal activities but that some Western diplomats complained had targeted regular individuals.
The searches, according to Taliban administration spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, were part of a “clearing operation,” and homes were only seized if there was a specific report of probable criminal behaviour.
“The operation isn’t just against anyone; it’s against kidnappers, professional thieves, and criminal organisations,” he stated at a press conference on Sunday.
The raids resulted in the seizure of firearms by authorities, as well as the arrest of scores of criminals and six members of the Islamic State militant group, according to Mujahid.
Reuters spoke with seven residents in Kabul, whose identities were withheld for security reasons, who claimed the searches were indiscriminate and spread anxiety.
One homeowner in north-west Kabul said that he expected the Taliban to pay him a visit on Monday, which meant his father had to stay home from work to accompany the family’s female members.
“We’re not pleased… I don’t want them to come inside our home, I don’t want them to see my sisters, and I don’t want them to search my clothing cupboard and documents. I don’t want them bothering my mother “He stated.
Another Kabul homeowner who was visited by Taliban officials stated that they had been impolite by not removing their footwear while entering a home.
“They came into our house with their shoes on and went everywhere,” the person explained.
The European Union and Germany’s ambassadors both condemned the operation.
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