Five Injured in Armed Kuchi Clashes in Punjab, Bamyan Province
Local sources in Punjab district of Bamyan province report that an armed attack by Kuchi nomads on residents of the Zarsang area left five people injured. Following the incident, Taliban authorities ordered the suspension of telecommunications signals in the district, which remained disrupted until Monday evening.
According to sources, the incident occurred on Saturday, June 6, when armed Kuchi herders entered Zarsang with thousands of livestock. Local residents tried to block the passage of livestock to protect their farmlands, but armed men accompanying the Kuchis attacked the people with gunfire and stone-throwing.
A source explained that every year the Kuchis pass their livestock through the irrigated and dry lands of local residents, and they did so again this year. When the residents in the Taleh Qol area attempted to turn the livestock back, armed men arrived and a clash ensued.
The injured have been identified as Naeem, Mehdi, Habib, Ibrahim, and Haji Ishaq, all suffering wounds from bullets and stones to the head and legs. Among them, Habib Karbalai and Haji Ishaq, both elderly men, were severely beaten. One was shot in the leg and transferred to Bamyan provincial center for treatment.
Sources further confirm that the Taliban administration sent a delegation from Kabul to Punjab, but after meeting with the Kuchis, the delegation left without taking concrete measures to prevent future clashes. The telecommunications blackout has caused complaints among residents over lack of communication access and difficulties in transporting the wounded.
In recent years, the arrival of Kuchis to the central regions during spring has consistently led to tensions. Since the Taliban takeover, residents of Hazara areas have voiced concerns over increasing insecurity, destruction of farms, and ineffective government response, which they describe as an ongoing crisis in these regions.
