Woman and Child Killed in Herat Clash Between Taliban Forces and Protesters

Videos posted on social media showed security personnel shooting directly at the crowd and beating demonstrators with sticks while protesters threw stones and chanted for work, education and freedom.

One video showed a young boy with a leg injury who appeared unresponsive. The protest followed the detention of about 30 women and girls in Herat in recent days by the Taliban's morality police for alleged violations of dress-code rules that require women to cover their hair and faces.

Sayed Masoud Hussaini, police spokesman for Herat province, said security forces were fulfilling their legal responsibilities and denied that civilians were injured by police shooting.

Shaikh Azizulrahman, head of the morality police in Herat, said in an audio message that no women were being arrested for clothing violations and that all women in the province observe the Taliban's dress code. Afghanistan's Taliban rulers denied shooting at protesters and claimed no women or girls have been arrested because they are following the rules.

Mission in Afghanistan, told the Security Council on Monday that the Taliban have stripped women and girls of basic rights including education, employment, free movement and participation in public life. "The Taliban have even criminalized women's voices and faces," she said.

Mission said it is concerned over the arrests in Herat, which raise serious human rights concerns. " The Taliban retook control of Afghanistan almost five years ago and have since enforced strict limits on women's public roles and appearance.