Kabul — Residents across Afghanistan capital Kabul say armed robberies targeting private homes have risen sharply in recent weeks, with thieves operating in organized groups at night, disabling security cameras by cutting power lines, and, in some cases, clashing violently with residents inside the homes they target.
The reports describe a pattern that has left many Kabul families feeling increasingly unprotected despite visible security measures, including checkpoints, home cameras and outdoor lighting.
A pattern across districts
Residents say organized groups have been entering homes at night and removing belongings, occasionally injuring occupants who confront them. Daytime street robberies, particularly mobile phone theft, are also reported as ongoing and separate from the nighttime pattern.
Samiullah, a resident of the eighth district, said nighttime robberies have increased in parts of the area, with groups of thieves entering homes and other locations. He said daytime phone theft on streets and roads continues as well, and that residents are largely unwilling to report incidents to authorities out of concern for their own safety.
Sediq, another resident of Kabul, named five specific neighborhoods — Shah Shahid, Tapa Nader Khan, Shohada, Salehin and Qol-e Heshmat Khan — where he said robberies occur both day and night. He said checkpoints are present throughout these areas but that Taliban forces do not conduct mobile foot patrols at night. He also described a recurring tactic: thieves cutting power lines before entering a property, which disables security cameras and prevents any usable footage from being recorded.
Mir Afghan, another area resident, said he has not been personally robbed in recent weeks but cited multiple secondhand reports of bicycle and mobile phone thefts among friends and acquaintances. He said security camera footage is frequently too distant or low-resolution to identify suspects, and that identifying thieves would require sustained tracking of their movements — a level of follow-up he said rarely occurs.
Salima, a resident of the Darul Aman area, said a house on her street was targeted approximately two nights before, but that the attempt failed after residents noticed the intruders and raised an alarm, causing the thieves to flee empty-handed. She linked the broader rise in robberies to unemployment and worsening economic conditions among local families.
Cameras and power cuts
A recurring theme across residents’ accounts is the compromised effectiveness of home security measures. Multiple residents said they had invested in cameras and lighting specifically to deter robbery, only to find the systems defeated by the thieves’ practice of severing power lines — sometimes stealing the wiring itself — before entering a property. Residents said that when they subsequently asked Taliban officials to review camera footage, they were told no recording existed because of the power outage.
Sediq and other residents said fear of retaliation is a significant factor in preventing formal complaints. Filing a report against identified or suspected thieves, they said, carries a perceived risk of personal danger, discouraging victims from engaging with local security officials even when evidence or leads exist.
Official response and broader context
The Taliban have repeatedly stated since retaking Kabul in August 2021 that establishing what they describe as lasting security remains a priority, particularly in the capital. Checkpoints have been expanded across the city. Residents interviewed for this report said that despite this visible security presence, it has not translated into consistent night patrols or effective investigation of reported crimes in the areas where they live.
The residents’ accounts align with broader data on deteriorating security conditions nationally. A recent report from the United Nations Secretary-General found that the UN recorded 2,947 security-related incidents across Afghanistan between May 1 and July 31 of this year, an 11 percent increase compared with the same period the previous year.
Local media persons have reportedly failed to obtain comment from Taliban security officials on the specific allegations raised by residents, including claims regarding delayed or absent camera footage review and the reported release of robbery suspects following informal financial arrangements.