Two reportedly killed as women take part in rare protest in Afghanistan

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: Two reportedly killed as women take part in rare protest in Afghanistan16 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleAFP via Getty ImagesA woman on the streets of Herat on Monday - a day before the protestTaliban police used live fire to disperse a rare protest against the detention of women accused of violating strict Islamic dress codes in the western Afghan city of Herat, witnesses and protesters said. Medics told the two people died, but did not specify how. A number of others at the protest were injured.

Both men and women had taken to the streets days after local Taliban government officials reportedly began arresting women perceived to be "improperly wearing the hijab". Police in Herat denied there had been any deaths, but have acknowledged they responded to the protest, telling the that officers had "taken action to ensure security and maintain public order". It is unclear what methods police used to break up the protest.

The Details

Witnesses say the police opened fire, but the police did not confirm this when asked directly by the . One protester told that the security forces "used sticks, whips and firearms to disperse the crowd. They even fired shots into the air".

He told the news agency he saw people wounded. "People are extremely frightened," he said. also quoted a photographer who said he had seen security forces "striking protesters and firing weapons in the direction of the crowd".

"Based on what I personally witnessed, a significant number of people were injured," the photographer said. The could not independently verify the accounts. Gunfire can be clearly heard in videos circulating online, while women can be heard screaming "don't beat ".

What Experts Say

Sayed Masoud Hosseini, spokesperson for the Herat Police Command, said the protesters "acted in a manner that disturbed public order". He added they were trying to "create tension under the pretext of protesting issues related to the observance of hijab and opposing Islamic hijab, which is considered a divine obligation". In one clip, some protesters can be heard chanting "education, work, freedom", the 's Afghan service reported.

Richard Bennett, the United Nations' special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, said on social media site X he was "alarmed by excessive use of force against seemingly peaceful protesters in Herat today", calling on those responsible to be "held accountable". via Getty ImagesWearing a hijab has been compulsory for women since May 2022Protests against the Taliban, especially by women, have been rare in Afghanistan since they retook power in August 2021. Initial attempts by women to defy the strict new rules brought in to control everything from their clothes to their education petered out, with women telling the they were cowed by officials' response to their protests - including being beaten, abused, jailed and even threatened with death by stoning.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.