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: The latest incident occurred on Thursday evening in Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan, where armed men shot and killed Mohammad Shah, an Ismaili resident originally from Shighnan district. Shah, who worked for a private office in the province, was attacked in the Dasht-e-Qargh area while returning home from a bakery, according to eyewitnesses.
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: Sources in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province, say the Taliban beat an elderly man to death with punches and kicks on Friday afternoon in a street near a local madrassa, accusing him of stealing 2,000 Afghanis. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: The victim, identified as Kamin Jan, previously served as a bodyguard to Gen. Daoud Daoud, the former commander of the 303 Pamir Regional Zone in northern Afghanistan under the previous government. The sources said Jan was killed on Saturday in an armed attack by unidentified gunmen in the Chashma-e-Garmak area of Farkhar district. One
Amu: According to the sources, those infected in Takhar include a woman, a man, and a child who fell ill after eating the meat of a contaminated sheep. Medical sources told Amu that several other residents in the Kokcha region of Takhar have recently developed similar symptoms after consuming infected meat. Click here to read
Afghanistan International: The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) said its fighters killed two Taliban members in an attack on the group’s base in Taleqan, the capital of Takhar province, on Saturday evening. Local residents told Afghanistan International that an explosion was heard in Taleqan around the same time. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Sources in Taloqan say that for over 40 days, several pharmacies have been closed under the pretext of inspections. According to these sources, some pharmacies have reopened through mediation or connections with local Taliban authorities, while others have been forced to clear out their stock, contributing to rising unemployment in the province. Sources further