Local sources in Shaki district of Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province say at least one person was killed and several others wounded following clashes between local residents and Taliban-linked forces over the extraction of gold from a mining area.
Three informed sources told Nimruz TV that the confrontation took place on Saturday, 19 Sawr, involving residents and fighters associated with Commander Fattah, the brother of Juma Khan Fateh, the Taliban deputy governor of Zabul province.
According to the sources, Commander Fattah arrived in the area with hundreds of individuals to take control of and divide a large mining zone.
Local residents reportedly opposed the plan, arguing that the proposed extraction would cause widespread destruction to green areas and grazing land. They instead demanded that mining begin on a limited scale first to assess whether commercially viable gold deposits actually existed.
Sources said the situation turned violent after Taliban-linked forces opened fire, leading to at least one death and around 15 injuries.
Residents also claimed that Taliban forces detained at least 15 protesters and placed villages in the area under tight security control and partial siege conditions.
Taliban authorities have not yet officially commented on the incident.
The clash once again highlights growing tensions over the control and extraction of natural resources in northeastern Afghanistan, where concerns over opaque mining practices, environmental destruction, and the use of force have increased in recent years.
Analysts warn that the absence of transparent mining governance and the limited involvement of local communities in resource decisions could fuel further social unrest and deepen distrust over the management of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth.
