Video footage has emerged showing an Afghan woman resisting female members of the Taliban's morality police as they attempted to force her into a van in Kabul, in the latest example of the regime's escalating crackdown on women's dress and behaviour. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, saw at least 20 women and girls forcibly detained for alleged dress-code violations, with male bystanders reportedly watching on without intervening. The episode highlights the continued tightening of restrictions on Afghan women five years after the Taliban returned to power, drawing renewed international attention to the group's treatment of women.

Footage shows two officers gripping the woman by the arms and neck to push her towards a white hatchback van, while witnesses told broadcaster Amu TV that several women were beaten during the incident, including a pregnant woman whose husband unsuccessfully pleaded for her release. The detainees were reportedly freed after their families provided guarantees. Since seizing Kabul in August 2021, the Taliban has issued more than 100 decrees restricting women's education, employment and freedom of movement, with only Russia formally recognising the government; a similar incident last month saw at least nine hijab-wearing women rounded up in Herat.