Taliban fighters in Kabul started collecting weapons from civilians on Monday, claiming people no longer need them for protection.
“We understand people kept weapons for personal safety,” a Taliban official said. “They can now feel safe. We are not here to harm innocent civilians.”
Salad Moleskin, a city resident and director of the MOBY group media company, described the moment Taliban soldiers came to his company compound to ask about his security team’s weapons.
There were scattered reports, according to the New York Post, of looting and armed men knocking on doors and gates. There was less traffic than usual on quiet streets as fighters searched vehicles at one of the city’s main squares.