The Taliban arrested at least 30 women, accusing them of violating dress code requirements, the UN agency for women's rights said.
The UN Women said Thursday it was "gravely concerned" by the arrests, which they said heightened fear and apprehension among women and girls.
The arrests come amid a growing struggle for women in Afghanistan, with dozens of people having joined a rare protest last weekend to denounce the actions of Taliban authorities in the western city of Herat.
The information on protests has been hard to verify, with local media having reported that the Taliban's "morality police," or the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, had detained some women in the days before the protests for allegedly failing to comply with hijab regulations.
But local authorities have denied reports that women were arrested.
