KABUL: A protest erupted in western Kabul after Taliban forces surrounded the Khatam al-Nabieen Seminary, a prominent religious and educational centre, and ordered its officials and students to evacuate.
Several clerics and instructors were detained during the gathering, according to sources, while videos showed large numbers of people inside the seminary compound as Taliban personnel surrounded the facility and ordered those inside to leave.
According to sources, several clerics and instructors were also detained during the gathering at the besieged seminary.
Videos showed Taliban personnel and military vehicles surrounding and entering the facility in Kabul’s Darulaman area, while students and others remained inside the compound.
Reports of Unrest in Kabul
The Taliban reportedly surrounded the Khatm al-Anbia Shia religious school in Kabul’s Kart-e-Chahar area earlier today. Students and teachers are said to have resisted the move, leading to several arrests.
Following the incident, students reportedly…
— Mohsin Ali (@Mohsin_o2) September 5, 2026
According to sources, several Taliban personnel linked to the Justice Ministry, equipped with military gear, were deployed around the seminary.
Several students were still inside the premises when the security operation began. Sources further claimed that Taliban forces detained several clerics during the protest.
The operation was carried out on the orders of Taliban Justice Minister Abdul Hakim Sharaei. Footage circulating on social media also appeared to show Taliban military vehicles carrying the group’s white flag entering the seminary compound.
The Taliban administration has not issued an official statement explaining the reasons for ordering the evacuation or commenting on reports of the protest and arrests.
University taken over
The latest development follows reports that Taliban authorities had taken control of Khatam al-Nabieen University, which is associated with the seminary, last week. According to a source in Kabul, the authorities had appointed a new president and four deputies to administer the university.
NEWS ALERT: Sectarian protests have erupted in Kabul after Afghan Taliban regime forces besieged the Khatm al-Anbia Shia seminary in Karte Chahar. Clashes broke out as students resisted, prompting protests in the surrounding streets.
The regime forces launched a crackdown, with… pic.twitter.com/9lIX7ajhGj
— THE GLOBAL DECIPHER (@Global_Decipher) September 5, 2026
The takeover of the university and the subsequent move against the seminary have heightened concerns among members of Afghanistan’s Shia community over the future of one of Kabul’s best-known Shia educational institutions.
Major educational centre
Khatam al-Nabieen Seminary was established in 2007 by Mohammad Asif Mohseni, a prominent Afghan Shia cleric and political figure. Situated along Darulaman Road in Kabul, the institution has functioned not only as a centre for religious instruction but has also been involved in academic, research and cultural activities.
The seminary has educated and hosted a number of Afghan clerics and students over the years. Mohseni, who died in 2019, was one of Afghanistan’s prominent Shia figures and a founder of the Islamic Movement of Afghanistan.
He was also active in Afghan political and military affairs before becoming a leading religious figure. Following his death, the management of the institution passed to his children.
Wider dispute
The confrontation at Khatam al-Nabieen Seminary is the latest in a series of disputes involving properties and institutions associated with Afghanistan’s Shia community and the Islamic Movement of Afghanistan.
In 2024, reports emerged that authorities had ordered around 100 families living in Kabul’s Sanatorium area to vacate their homes. Sources at the time also reported the sealing of a mosque in the area.
More recently, the Taliban Justice Ministry became involved in the closure of Tamadon TV, a broadcaster associated with the same movement.
Taliban forces entered the broadcaster’s headquarters on June 23 and forced the station off air. Its director, Mohammad Rahmati, and an employee, Mohammad Reza Ehsani, were also detained for a period, according to reports.
READ ALSO: Taliban Promoting Ethnic Division, Sectarianism and Social Fragmentation: Former Afghan Minister
The Justice Ministry said the action against Tamadon TV was linked to its association with the Islamic Movement of Afghanistan and its use of land that authorities alleged had been illegally acquired.
Tamadon TV rejected the allegation, arguing that the ownership dispute remained before a Taliban court and that no final judicial ruling had been issued.
Evacuation order in western Kabul
The Taliban Justice Ministry has also ordered residents of Omid-e Sabz township in western Kabul to leave the area. Residents subsequently submitted a letter of protest to the office of Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, seeking intervention over the evacuation order.
According to sources, the office of Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani also instructed residents not to vacate the township unless a direct order was issued by Akhundzada.
The conflicting reports have added to uncertainty surrounding the Taliban authorities’ property-related actions in western Kabul.
Taliban yet to explain
The Taliban has so far provided no public explanation for the order targeting Khatam al-Nabieen Seminary. It also remains unclear what will happen to the students and clerics who were inside the compound when Taliban forces surrounded the institution.
The development is likely to attract particular attention among Afghanistan’s Shia community, given the seminary’s longstanding role as a religious and educational centre.
For now, the absence of an official Taliban explanation, coupled with reports of arrests and the continued presence of students inside the facility, has left the circumstances surrounding the operation unclear.
