Massive Deployment of Heavy Machinery to Badakhshan Gold Mines Amid Ongoing Extraction Conflicts

Local sources report that thousands of heavy machinery units have been transported to gold mines in Badakhshan province, raising concerns over the intensification of unregulated mining and its consequences.

Last week, severe tensions erupted in Badakhshan and Takhar provinces between Taliban forces, Chinese companies, and local residents over mining methods and extraction volumes. These clashes turned violent, resulting in casualties and injuries among civilians in certain areas.

Local witnesses say that protests by residents against opaque extraction practices that disregard local interests have been met with harsh crackdowns by Taliban forces, worsening insecurity around mining sites.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Islamic Jamiat-e Islami party issued a statement condemning the Taliban administration’s treatment of the country’s underground resources as “war spoils.” The party emphasized that continuing this approach could cause irreparable economic, environmental, and social damage to Afghanistan and called for an immediate halt to irresponsible mining activities.