Taliban Forcibly Evicts Students From Khatam al-Nabieen Seminary, Detains 28 in Escalating Kabul Shia Crackdown

Taliban forces forcibly evicted students and teachers from Kabul's Khatam al-Nabieen Shia seminary complex on Monday, September 7, 2026, after giving them until roughly 10 a.m. to leave voluntarily; when they did not, Ministry of Justice personnel removed them by force in the afternoon and took control of the premises. In the operation, 28 teachers and students were detained and transferred to the Taliban's Third Security District in Kabul; four were subsequently released, leaving 24 in custody. The forcible eviction capped a week of escalating pressure on the complex — Taliban forces first surrounded it and ordered an evacuation on September 5, then detained three prominent Shia leaders (Sufi Gardizi, Sayed Hassan Sharifi Balkhabi and Mohammad Hossein Sangardoost) on September 6 — bringing the total detained across the operation to roughly 36. The Taliban's Ministry of Justice maintains the complex, which includes Khatam al-Nabieen University and Tamadon TV, sits on government-owned land; seminary officials say they hold legal title and that the ownership dispute remains before a Taliban court. The Taliban government has not issued a public statement on the eviction or detentions.