Local Commander Killed In Clash With Taliban In Badakhshan, Say Sources

According to local Taliban officials, at least 109 musical instruments were collected over the past several months from various celebratory gatherings and subsequently burned. On Monday, officials in Alingar released images showing the public incineration of the items, which included drums (daff), guitars, loudspeakers, and other musical equipment.

Since returning to power in Afghanistan nearly four years ago, the Taliban has banned all forms of music, declaring that it contradicts “the rulings of Islamic Sharia.” The group has regularly carried out raids to confiscate musical instruments and has punished musicians in several provinces.

The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue claims that thousands of musical instruments have been destroyed under its directives since the group’s return to power.

According to Hengaw, the individuals were sentenced to death on charges of premeditated murder and drug-related offences. The Afghan citizen, identified as Mobarak Rahmani, was executed on Sunday in Qom Prison. He had been arrested three years ago on charges of murder.

The other executed individuals were named as Zabihollah Sarani, Vahid Karimizadeh, Farhad Farahnak, Alireza Rezaei, and Hessam Farhadi.

As of now, Iranian state media and official sources have not confirmed the executions.

Human rights organisations operating outside Iran have previously documented a rise in the number of Afghan nationals executed in Iran following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. According to these groups, more than 80 Afghan prisoners were executed in Iran over the past year.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Muttaqi said Afghanistan’s strategic location, youthful population, and abundant natural resources uniquely position it to serve as a regional transit and trade hub. He emphasised the Taliban administration’s commitment to fostering economic partnerships and invited foreign investors to engage with confidence.

Highlighting growing ties with Beijing, Muttaqi praised China’s role in Afghanistan’s agricultural and technology sectors and described it as one of the Taliban government’s key economic partners.

During his ongoing visit, Muttaqi met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and deepening economic cooperation. According to Taliban foreign ministry deputy spokesperson Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, Wang Yi pledged continued political and economic support for Afghanistan and vowed to help remove barriers to Afghan imports, particularly agricultural goods.

Muttaqi’s China trip follows a recent visit to Iran, where he met with President Masoud Pezeshkian as part of broader efforts by the Taliban to bolster regional ties and attract foreign investment amid international isolation.

Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Geneva, voiced strong objections to the plan during the meeting, stating that the UN’s approach marginalises non-Taliban actors and undermines the role of women, civil society organisations, and opponents of the Taliban regime.

According to Andisha, the Mosaic initiative refers to the Taliban as the primary stakeholders in Afghanistan’s future, while reducing other groups to the vague label of “other Afghan stakeholders.” He argued that this category, in reality, encompasses the Afghan people, women’s rights defenders, human rights organisations, and civil society leaders, many of whom remain in exile or under threat.

Andisha further noted that a similar pattern of exclusion is visible at the regional level, where dialogue is taking place through opaque and unaccountable “intelligence channels,” leaving non-Taliban voices out of key discussions.

“The UN has not meaningfully shared the Mosaic plan with Afghan civil actors or activists,” Andisha said. “Some UN representatives believe that many of Afghanistan’s exiled figures are not important enough to be involved in discussions about the country’s future.”

He accused the UN of lacking the political will to engage a broad spectrum of Afghan stakeholders, saying the organisation “is not interested” in inclusive dialogue.

In a broader critique, Andisha also acknowledged internal weaknesses among anti-Taliban opposition forces, stating they have yet to develop a unified and coherent strategy. Without naming Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, he remarked, “Only one man has a plan, and he is implementing it,” warning that this plan is dragging Afghanistan further backward.

The fourth round of the Antalya Process commenced on Monday in Türkiye, bringing together Afghan and international participants to discuss prospects for launching a genuine, inclusive national dialogue aimed at resolving the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan.

The violence erupted over the Taliban’s ongoing efforts to eradicate poppy fields in the area.

According to sources, villagers attempted to carry the body of a man reportedly killed by Taliban forces during the initial confrontation in a protest march demanding justice. In response, Taliban military officials deployed reinforcements to the area on Monday.

Several residents and poppy field owners allegedly supported by local Taliban members have since taken to the surrounding mountains, establishing defensive positions against the advancing Taliban units.

Eyewitnesses reported that both sides fired warning shots into the air, raising fears of an imminent escalation. A source from the village said the deceased was later buried following mediation by Fasihuddin Fitrat, the Taliban’s Chief of Army Staff. The villagers had initially planned to carry the body to the Taliban governor’s office in Faizabad as part of a protest.

The unrest began on Sunday when a Taliban unit dispatched to destroy poppy fields reportedly clashed with armed locals. Witnesses said that poppy field owners, backed by sympathetic Taliban affiliates, exchanged gunfire with the enforcement team. At least one person was killed and four others injured during the confrontation.

Ahmad Jawid Mojaddedi, a former member of the Badakhshan Provincial Council, criticised the Taliban’s “double standards” in implementing the poppy ban. Speaking to Afghanistan International, he said, “While the Taliban enforce the ban harshly in Badakhshan, poppy cultivation continues unchecked in many other provinces.”

This latest episode mirrors similar confrontations from the previous year, underscoring growing discontent in Badakhshan over the Taliban’s eradication campaigns. Farmers in the region have repeatedly voiced frustration, arguing that poverty and unemployment leave them no choice but to cultivate poppies as a means of survival.