KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum says it has signed a contract for the extraction of Block Three of the “Namak Sar” area in Ghoryan district of Herat province with a private company named “Obaid Ayub Noori Limited.”
The ministry announced today (Tuesday, April 21) that the duration of this contract is 15 years and that the company will invest $10.2 million in the Herat salt mine.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum added that each ton of salt from this mine has been contracted with the company at a royalty price of 1,500 Afghanis.
The ministry stated that, in addition to paying the royalty, the company has also committed to social services and environmental protection, and will provide employment opportunities for 125 people.
Earlier, on the 11th of Hamal (March 31) of the current solar year, the Taliban had also signed a contract for Block Five of this salt mine with the company “Rahmani Zarkhanzoi” valued at $5.342 million for a period of 15 years.
The Taliban have signed these extraction contracts while the exploitation of the country’s mines by the group has faced widespread criticism, with some political factions accusing them of “looting” Afghanistan’s natural resources.
These developments come amid ongoing debates over transparency, resource management, and the long-term economic impact of such contracts, as critics continue to question whether these agreements truly benefit the Afghan population or primarily serve short-term financial and political interests.
Since returning to power, the Taliban have significantly expanded the extraction of Afghanistan’s underground resources, including gold mines in Takhar and neighbouring Badakhshan provinces. These activities have repeatedly faced resistance from local communities.
Meanwhile, in a related development three months earlier (January 2026), Afghanistan’s Taliban-run Interior Ministry had confirmed that three protesters were killed during unrest over gold mining operations in Takhar province.
According to the ministry, clashes had erupted between local residents and a gold-washing company in Chah Ab district, resulting in the deaths of three residents and one company employee, while five others were injured. Authorities had arrested one security guard and one local resident on murder charges, suspended the company’s operations, and launched an investigation into the incident.
In the summer, Taliban forces also cracked down on protests in Badakhshan after residents objected to the destruction of poppy fields. According to United Nations figures, at least 10 protesters were killed during that crackdown.
