KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban say they have sent a delegation to Chah Ab district in northern Takhar province following violent clashes between local residents and a mining company over the extraction of gold.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said on Tuesday (January 6) that the team, led by the Taliban governor of Takhar, had been tasked with assessing the situation. The ministry’s spokesperson, Homayoun Afghan, acknowledged that the unrest resulted in casualties and financial losses but did not provide further details.
Residents in Chah Ab have been protesting for several days against what they describe as excessive gold mining and the damage caused to local water resources by excavation activities. Local sources say the protests turned violent after Taliban forces intervened.
According to the sources, at least three protesters were killed and six others wounded during the crackdown. Protesters are also reported to have set fire to property belonging the contracting company. There are unconfirmed reports that one Taliban member was killed during the clashes.
Taliban officials in Takhar have not commented further on the incident.
Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban have significantly expanded the extraction of Afghanistan’s natural resources, including gold mines in Takhar and neighboring Badakhshan. Mining operations under Taliban rule have drawn widespread criticism, with local communities accusing the authorities of exploiting mineral resources without transparency of environmental safeguards.
Tensions over mining have previously led to deadly confrontations. Last summer, Taliban forces suppressed protests in Badakhshan against the destruction of poppy fields, killing at least 10 demonstrators, according to United Nations figures.
