The Taliban have ordered residential building guards and neighborhood watchmen in parts of Kabul to obtain two-way radios and military-style uniforms and report daily incidents and movements in their areas to the group’s security offices, sources told NIMRUZ TV.
According to the sources, the plan is already being implemented in parts of Kabul, including the Hessa-ye-Dowom Khair Khana area within Police District 11. A similar process is reportedly underway in Police District 15, with the Taliban seeking to extend the reporting network to other parts of the capital.
Sources told NIMRUZ TV that Taliban officials summoned residential guards in Hessa-ye-Dowom Khair Khana and instructed them to obtain radios and uniforms at their own expense, with financial contributions from residents of the buildings they guard.
Once equipped, the guards are expected to connect to the relevant security district’s radio frequency and promptly report incidents and movements in their neighborhoods. They have also reportedly been instructed to maintain regular radio contact with the district security office and other guards.
A guard in Police District 11, speaking about the consequences of the order, said he could not afford the required equipment and did not want to come into conflict with local residents. He warned that he might have to leave his job rather than risk disputes with people in the neighborhood.
A local source said residents had also been asked to cover the costs of radios and uniforms for the guards. The requirement comes as many Afghan families face unemployment and financial hardship, while neighborhood guards often receive low wages.
Some residents have described the measure as turning building guards into security informants. They fear that requiring guards to report routine movements and daily incidents could increase anxiety and mistrust among neighbors and extend security monitoring into residents’ private lives.
The reported initiative comes amid broader Taliban efforts to strengthen security monitoring in Kabul. The installation of more than 62,000 surveillance cameras across the capital has also been cited as part of these efforts.
The reported orders raise questions about the balance between security monitoring and residents’ privacy, as well as who should bear the cost of implementing the system. If the network expands as sources anticipate, households could face additional expenses while residential guards take on responsibilities beyond their traditional security duties.
The full scope of the initiative, the precise criteria for reporting movements and incidents, and the existence of safeguards against misuse have not been established in the information available to NIMRUZ TV. The reported orders and their implementation are based on accounts from local sources and could not be independently verified.
