KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – At least seven people have reportedly been injured in a series of clashes between nomads known as Kuchis and local residents in the Hazara-populated Behsud district of central Maidan Wardak province.
Local sources told KabulNow that the incidents took place on Sunday and Monday in three villages, after locals tried to stop Kuchi herds from entering their farmlands.
In one of the incidents on Sunday, armed Kuchi men allegedly beat a woman, causing serious injury to one of her eyes. The assault triggered a confrontation in which several local men were also injured.
Three of the injured have been taken to Kabul for treatment, according to the sources.
The violence forced several families from one of the affected villages to flee their homes. The fleeing residents said Kuchi men looted their belongings after they left.
In another incident, the sources said Kuchi men attempted to divert the village’s water supply, leading to another confrontation. At least three people were reportedly injured.
The Taliban authorities have not commented on the incidents. However, local sources said Taliban forces arrived at the scene and took two Kuchi men to the district office.
Tensions between Hazara communities and Kuchis rise each spring as the nomads migrate to the central highlands. Locals often accuse the Kuchis of damaging crops, seizing pastures, and harassing villagers.
The dispute over land and grazing rights has existed for decades. But since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, locals say the conflict has worsened. The Taliban are frequently accused of siding with the Kuchis during such confrontations.
An investigation by KabulNow documented rising violence and extortion linked to Kuchi-local disputes in several provinces, including Maidan Wardak, Bamyan, Daykundi, Takhar, Parwan, and Kabul.
