Afghanistan International: The Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has approved the deployment of 1,000 fighters to protect gold mining operations in Badakhshan province, according to the Taliban-appointed governor. In recent months, clashes have occurred between local residents and Taliban-linked mining companies in the province. Click here to read more (externa link).
8am: The Taliban’s claims of economic self-sufficiency and reduced narcotics production are superficial, short-term achievements designed to preserve the power of the ruling elite. In contrast, the people of Afghanistan face polluted villages, generations of illness, widespread poverty, suppression of women, and destruction of prospects for sustainable development. Click here to read more (external link).
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi January 11, 2026 A deadly confrontation at a gold mine in northern Afghanistan has cast new light on the Taliban’s push to expand gold extraction, raising questions about the largely unregulated operations and their foreign — mostly Chinese — backing. The latest incident comes as the Interior Ministry of the Taliban
Amu: Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for the Taliban-run interior ministry, said three local residents and one employee of a mining company were killed in fighting in Chah Ab district. Five others were wounded, he said. Qani said the Taliban deputy governor for Takhar had travelled to the area to investigate the incident. Mining operations at
8am: Residents of the Samti area in Chah Ab District of Takhar Province rose in protest, armed with stones and sticks, against Taliban-affiliated companies they accused of plundering gold mines and destroying their water wells. Sources identify the companies as belonging to Haji Mohib and Haji Ruhullah Ruhani from Kandahar Province. They are described as
Afghanistan International: Protesters in northern Afghanistan set fire to gold mining equipment linked to the Taliban after clashes with security forces and company personnel escalated in Takhar province, local sources said. The violence followed confrontations in the Samti area of Chah Ab district, where residents have opposed what they describe as unregulated gold mining by
Afghanistan International: The incident took place in Chah Ab district of Takhar province, where Taliban forces and personnel connected to a gold mining company entered the area to launch an extraction operation. Several people on both sides were injured, according to the sources. A video obtained by Afghanistan International shows residents throwing stones at Taliban
8am: Local sources in Badakhshan province reveal the existence of an extensive and organized network for the plunder of gold mines and other natural resources by influential figures affiliated with the Taliban. According to sources, this process is carried out systematically using force, corruption, and collusion with some Taliban leaders. Sources also report the involvement
8am: Afghanistan is a land rich in underground resources—an abundance that, in terms of value and diversity, could form the backbone of its national economy and lay the foundation for sustainable development. However, rather than being utilized through a development-oriented framework, these assets have increasingly been subject to systematic looting and unregulated extraction in recent
Amu: Dozens of residents in Takhar province staged protests against what they call the plundering of gold reserves in the Chah Ab district. The protests that started Sunday and continued into Monday called for addressing the issue by relevant institutions. Sources told Amu TV that companies operating in the region appear to be engaged in