Residents Clash With Taliban In Badakhshan Over Destruction Of Poppy Fields

Residents of Shahran, the centre of Khash district in Badakhshan province, have staged an armed protest against the Taliban following the destruction of their poppy fields, local sources told Afghanistan International.

On Thursday, local farmers and community members reportedly took up arms in response to a counter-narcotics operation by the Taliban. Protesters clashed with Taliban forces and set fire to at least three tractors used to destroy the crops.

Videos received by Afghanistan International show multiple tractors engulfed in flames. Sources said the machinery had been sent by the Taliban’s counter-narcotics directorate as part of a broader effort to eliminate opium cultivation in the region.

According to witnesses, Taliban forces opened fire on protesters, though no casualties have yet been confirmed. Following the confrontation, Taliban helicopters were seen patrolling the skies over Khash and neighbouring Jurm districts.

Taliban officials in Badakhshan have not issued a statement regarding the incident.

A similar clash occurred on 24 May in Farghamanch village, Jurm district, where at least one civilian was killed during a protest against poppy field destruction. Last year, Taliban eradication efforts in the province also met resistance from local communities.