Two Taliban Fighters Reportedly Arrested in Bamyan Over Alleged Sexual Encounter

DID Press: Two Taliban fighters have reportedly been arrested by the group’s intelligence officials in Bamyan province over an alleged sexual encounter with a woman, according to a Taliban intelligence source cited by DID Press.

The source said the woman operates a shop in front of the Taliban’s provincial office for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and had previously been in contact with several officials, or muhtasibs, from the department.

According to the source, the woman and the two Taliban fighters were arrested on Saturday at the Zahak Hotel in Bamyan. DID Press could not independently verify the allegations, and there has been no public comment from Taliban authorities on the reported arrests.

The allegations have emerged amid continued restrictions on women’s economic activities in Bamyan. Local sources say Taliban authorities have in recent months pressured female artisans and business owners to move their shops from the lower market to the Ghaghluq Market, located near the offices of the Taliban’s municipal administration and the provincial Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice department.

Sources further allege that Taliban authorities continue to insist on the relocation, while raising questions over the ownership of the market and alleged links to an official responsible for property affairs within the Taliban municipality.

The reported arrests and allegations of secret relationships involving some Taliban members have prompted questions about the standards applied by the group’s morality authorities, particularly as the same institutions have imposed restrictions on women’s businesses and public activities.