Taliban going door-to-door, telling Afghans to return to work: report

Members of the Taliban made unannounced visits to Afghan residents’ homes on Wednesday, telling them during their door-to-door calls to return to work, Reuters reported.

The wire service spoke to a group of civilians from all over Afghanistan who said they had encounters with members of the insurgent group at their homes within the last day.

One Afghan woman told Reuters that three armed members of the Taliban came to her home on Wednesday morning in Herat where they asked her about her employment and wages. 

The woman, who works at an aid organization, was told by the insurgent group to return to work, though she told the wire service that she feared there would be fewer opportunities now that the Taliban are in power.

“The Taliban say women should work but I know for a fact that opportunities will shrink,” she told Reuters.

A request seeking comment from Reuters regarding the door-to-door visits was not immediately returned by a Taliban spokesperson.

In the span of over a week, the dynamics of Afghanistan have changed drastically. Since the United States began withdrawing troops from the country earlier this year, the Taliban began seizing major cities and provinces. 

The conquests culminated in the takeover of Kabul on Sunday, when the members of the insurgent group took over the presidential palace — a breakneck speed that caught U.S. officials off guard. 

The U.S. evacuated between 700 and 800 people — including more than 100 Americans — on Monday, Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor said Tuesday. The U.S. is trying to evacuate many more Americans and Afghan residents who could be possible targets of the insurgent group.

The Taliban vowed during their Tuesday press conference that they wanted good relations with other nations and even signaled a possible departure from their prior stance on women working.

However, many are concerned that the Taliban have not changed their stances from the last time they ruled the country 20 years ago, the wire service noted.