The Taliban have arrested at least 30 women in Afghanistan, accusing them of violating strict dress code requirements, according to the UN agency for women’s rights, UN Women.

In a statement issued on Thursday, UN Women expressed being “gravely concerned” about the arrests, warning that the actions are increasing fear and anxiety among women and girls across the country.

The arrests come amid growing unrest, including rare public protests held last weekend in the western city of Herat. The demonstrations reportedly emerged in response to recent detentions by Taliban “morality police,” formally known as the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, who had allegedly detained women for not complying with mandatory hijab regulations requiring full body coverage except for the eyes.

Local media reported that protesters gathered to condemn these actions, though the Taliban have denied that any arrests related to the protests took place. The reliability of reports from the scene has been difficult to verify due to restricted media access.

Unverified social media footage appeared to show armed Taliban forces dispersing the demonstration, which included both fully veiled women and other participants. According to UN Women, Taliban security forces allegedly opened fire during the protest, resulting in at least two deaths, including a boy, and injuring more than 20 people.

Herat, historically known as one of Afghanistan’s cultural and artistic centers, was among the first major cities to fall to the Taliban in 2021. Since then, the group has imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s rights, including bans on education beyond grade six and severe limitations on employment and public participation.