Taliban Ministry Claims 100,000 People Engaged in Gold Mining in Badakhshan

The Taliban Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced that approximately 100,000 people are involved in gold mining operations in Badakhshan province. According to the ministry, these individuals are working directly and indirectly in mines located in the districts of Shahrbuzurg, Yawan, Kohistan, Raghestan, Khwahan, and Arghanjaw.

In a press release issued on Sunday, the ministry stated that gold panning activities have created job opportunities for locals and brought positive changes to the region's economy. It said many residents who were previously unemployed and facing economic hardships now earn daily incomes through these projects.

The ministry also claimed that infrastructure projects worth 223 million afghanis have begun in Badakhshan, including road construction, water supply systems, and five large bridges over the Kokcha River.

The Taliban have expanded underground mining, particularly gold, in Badakhshan and Takhar provinces in recent months, with hundreds of companies operating in northern Afghanistan.

Opponents of the Taliban have accused the group of plundering Afghanistan's mines and raised concerns over their extraction methods. Prior reports have detailed clashes between local residents and Taliban forces over gold mining in these provinces, with locals opposing companies affiliated with the Taliban.

In the most recent incident, residents of Chah Ab district in Takhar province protested on January 18 against what they described as illegal gold mining by the Taliban. They warned of severe environmental consequences, including reduced and halted water resources due to extensive excavations. Although a Taliban delegation was sent to investigate, tensions persist.

Following clashes between Chah Ab residents and Taliban-affiliated companies over gold mining, at least four locals and one Taliban member were killed, with 16 others wounded.