Taliban Leader Issues New Decree Regulating Gold Panning

He was known to be a close associate of former Ghor governor Mohammad Ibrahim Malikzada.

The killing took place in Pay Hisar village in Taywara district of Ghor province.

According to sources, the former security officer was attacked and killed by motorcycle-riding assailants outside his home.

Sources said that since the Taliban returned to power, 10 people close to Mohammad Ibrahim Malekzada, including members of his family, have been killed.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the killing of Commander Sirajuddin.

The Taliban authorities have not yet commented on the incident.

The law consists of two chapters and 14 articles and designates the Taliban’s Directorate for the Preservation of Jihadi Heritage as the main body responsible for its implementation.

According to details released by the ministry, the law defines the responsibilities and structure of the Directorate-General for the Preservation of Jihadi Heritage in collecting, organising and documenting records and materials related to the Taliban’s 20-year insurgency against the US-led coalition forces.

The directorate is tasked with registering all documents, records and artefacts connected to that period and overseeing their publication and presentation as part of the group’s wartime legacy.

In addition to documenting the recent conflict, the law requires the directorate to compile a comprehensive history of the two-decade war against the US presence in Afghanistan, the origins and development of the Taliban movement, and detailed accounts of the group’s first period in power during the 1990s.

The law also assigns the body responsibility for documenting conflicts against former Soviet forces and British military campaigns in Afghanistan.

The move forms part of the Taliban’s broader efforts to shape and institutionalise its own interpretation of Afghanistan’s modern history.

The Taliban leader has previously stressed the importance of preserving what the group describes as jihadi heritage so that future generations can learn from it.

Some observers view the law as a step towards promoting a one-sided historical narrative and reinforcing Taliban ideology, arguing that it focuses primarily on events and perspectives favoured by the group.

Sources in Herat said male officers from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice carried out the operation in several parts of the city.

Witnesses said Taliban officials also detained women at the Almas Sharq shopping centre and in the Qasr area of Herat.

According to eyewitnesses, Taliban officers carrying sticks detained women whom they accused of failing to comply with the group’s hijab requirements. Witnesses said some women shouted and resisted during searches and arrests.

Sources, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said the operation began in the Lilami area before being expanded to other parts of the city.

A shopkeeper in Lilami said: “There are currently no women visible on this road. The Taliban detained some women, while others fled the area shouting.”

He added that many of those arrested were already observing hijab and had their bodies fully covered.

Witnesses said Taliban officials took the women away after detaining them.

One eyewitness said a woman who appeared to be wearing full Islamic dress shouted from inside a Taliban vehicle at male bystanders, accusing them of standing by while women were being taken away.

The operation followed a warning issued on Friday by the Taliban’s Department for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat. The department said women appearing in public without complying with the group’s hijab requirements, including those showing their faces or wearing make-up, would face action.

The department warned that women who defy the mandatory dress code could be arrested and imprisoned.

Many women in Herat traditionally wear long coats and Iranian- or Arab-style hijab rather than the all-encompassing burqa.

Under the Taliban’s morality law, a woman’s face is considered awrah, meaning it must be concealed. Taliban morality officers insist that women wear clothing that fully covers their faces.

The Taliban has previously barred women in Herat from accessing public services at government offices if they were not wearing a burqa.

According to the ministry, those detained were accused of a wide range of offences, from petty crimes to organised criminal activity.

Armed robberies, theft of gold, mobile phones and cash, as well as the theft of cars, motorcycles and rickshaws, were among the most frequently reported offences.

In one case, the Taliban said it arrested 22 people on 12 May in connection with armed robberies in the provinces of Balkh, Jowzjan, Nimroz and Ghor.

The ministry has also reported numerous cases of livestock theft, including cattle and sheep, particularly in rural and remote areas where many families rely on animal husbandry for their livelihoods.

Authorities have further reported an increase in weapons smuggling and the illegal possession of firearms in Kunduz, Khost, Helmand and Paktia provinces. Taliban officials have also announced arrests linked to currency smuggling in border regions and along major transport routes.

Organised crime has also become increasingly prominent. Taliban authorities claim to have dismantled several armed criminal networks in recent weeks.

In one incident, the Interior Ministry said five people were arrested on 13 May in connection with the kidnapping of a businessman in Kabul. According to the ministry, the alleged leader of the kidnapping gang was killed during a clash with Taliban forces.

A significant proportion of the arrests reported over the past month were linked to the production, sale and trafficking of narcotics.

Taliban statements referred to cannabis trafficking, drug-processing facilities and the smuggling of synthetic drugs.

On 10 May, authorities said 18 people were arrested for allegedly operating a drug-processing factory in Ghor province.

In a separate case, a suspect was arrested in Nimroz province for allegedly smuggling a large quantity of a synthetic drug known locally as “Tablet K”.

Several cases involving gambling and individuals accused of running away from home have also been referred to Taliban judicial authorities.

Most recently, the Taliban announced the arrest of 21 people on gambling-related charges, although the Interior Ministry did not specify the nature of the alleged activities.

The Taliban has previously banned a range of leisure activities and games, including card games.

Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has portrayed itself as a guarantor of security through strict enforcement, harsh punishments and public penalties.

However, the scale of criminal cases and the high number of arrests suggest that significant security challenges persist across Afghan society.

One Kabul resident told Afghanistan International: “In the early months everyone was afraid, but now criminals have largely lost their fear of the Taliban. Thefts happen in broad daylight and it seems the Taliban has lost control in some areas.”

As crime has increased, the Taliban has once again resorted to severe and often violent punishments.

The situation in Herat has been described as particularly concerning. According to official figures, nearly 900 people were arrested on theft-related charges in the province during the past six months alone.

In response, Taliban forces recently shot dead two men accused of theft in public in Herat city. Images showing their bloodied bodies displayed on the back of a police vehicle circulated on social media, prompting widespread criticism and concern.

Analysts argue that rising crime in Afghanistan is being driven not only by security challenges but also by the country’s worsening economic crisis, widespread poverty and growing unemployment.

Some observers have also alleged that individual Taliban members may be involved in certain criminal incidents.

They argue that measures such as night patrols, checkpoints and even harsh punishments are unlikely to have a lasting impact unless the underlying economic causes of crime are addressed.

Provincial data indicate that the highest numbers of arrests and reported crimes were recorded in Herat, Kabul and Balkh provinces, which observers view as a sign of mounting economic and social pressures in Afghanistan’s major urban centres.

Meanwhile, according to the latest United Nations estimates, around 28 million people in Afghanistan are living in severe poverty and require international assistance.

The Taliban embassy in Moscow said the meetings took place on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The 29th edition of the forum was held over three days from June 3 - 5.

Hasan Gul Hasan, Taliban’s ambassador in Moscow, and Ahmadullah Wasiq, head of the Taliban’s Olympic, Physical Education and Sports Directorate, attended the event.

According to the Taliban embassy, discussions focused on expanding bilateral economic and commercial relations, increasing opportunities for Afghan traders and supporting Afghan students studying in Russia.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is Russia’s leading annual economic conference and has been held since 1997. This year’s gathering brought together representatives from more than 130 countries.

Russia remains the only country to have formally recognised the Taliban administration.