Amu: Gold mining operations in parts of Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province have been suspended amid escalating tensions over control of mineral-rich areas, local sources said on Wednesday. The suspension comes as Taliban attempt to contain growing unrest linked to gold mines in Shukai district and surrounding areas, where disputes between local residents, armed groups and
Afghanistan International: Local sources in Badakhshan tell Afghanistan International that the Taliban have detained several individuals, including relatives of a number of the group’s ethnic Tajik commanders, amid an ongoing dispute over gold. According to these sources, those detained include Khaled, a nephew of Mawlawi Amanuddin Mansoor, the Taliban’s governor in Helmand; Musa Kaka, a
Amu: Taliban on Sunday informed of signing a $20.2 million contract for the extraction of gold in northern Kunduz province with Afghan and Azerbaijani companies. But critics, including economists and anti-corruption advocates, have repeatedly raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the contracts, revenue collection and oversight of Afghanistan’s mining sector. Click here to
8am: After seizing control of Afghanistan and accelerating the extraction of mineral resources, the Taliban awarded contracts for the large gold mines of Badakhshan and Takhar to Chinese companies. Concerns had previously been raised that the Taliban were looting the country’s natural wealth. Click here to read more (external link).
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).
Amu: Local Taliban officials said they have identified a new deposit of semi-precious green garnet stone in the central province of Panjshir, marking the first reported discovery of the mineral in the area. Mohammad Qasim Amiri, the Taliban’s head of mines and petroleum in Panjshir, said the deposit was located in Ab Dara village in
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