Taliban Arrest Dozens In Badakhshan’s Khash District Following Deadly Protests

In a post on the social media platform X on Wednesday, 2 July, the UNFPA announced it is providing critical maternal health and psychosocial support services to returnees at key border crossings. The agency said these services are available 24/7 to address the urgent needs of vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has also warned of the growing humanitarian pressure caused by the influx of returnees. It said thousands of Afghans are returning from neighbouring countries despite Afghanistan’s ongoing economic and political crisis.

The UNHCR has appealed for increased international funding to provide essential support, including food, shelter and healthcare, to those returning under difficult circumstances.

Speaking at a seminar titled “Pakistan’s War on Terror for the World” in Islamabad, Bhutto urged the Taliban to honour the terms of the 2020 agreement signed with the United States, which includes preventing terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS from operating on Afghan soil.

“Terrorism is a global threat, and Pakistan has paid a heavy price in both lives and economic losses,” Bhutto said. “The Taliban’s failure to fulfil their promises could deepen regional instability. Respecting the Doha commitments is essential to avoiding further escalation.”

Under the Doha Agreement, the Taliban pledged not to allow any militant group to use Afghan territory to threaten the security of the United States or its allies. While the Taliban continue to insist that no group is being allowed to operate against neighbouring countries, Pakistani officials have strongly rejected this claim.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of harbouring members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned militant group responsible for deadly attacks inside Pakistan.

Local sources told Afghanistan International that at around 10 p.m., Taliban security personnel in the 13th district began removing tents they claimed had been erected outside designated areas. The action triggered objections from participants in the mourning ceremonies, followed by gunfire at the scene.

Videos obtained by Afghanistan International show Taliban forces firing weapons and tearing down the tents.

The incident reportedly followed orders from Taliban authorities to remove tents not located near mosques. Prior to the start of Muharram, meetings were held between Shia religious scholars and Taliban officials to designate specific areas for mourning rituals.

However, local residents claim that the tents removed were set up in pre-approved locations. They say a new directive from Kabul now permits tents only if they are placed directly adjacent to mosques.

In response to the incident, Mohammad Ismail Ahmadi, head of the Shia Ulema Council of Herat, called for calm during a memorial ceremony for the late Shia scholar Mohammad Jafar Tawakoli. He confirmed that discussions were under way with the provincial governor and Taliban officials to resolve the dispute.

Ahmadi reiterated that, under current guidelines, mourners are allowed to erect tents only in close proximity to Shia mosques.

Meanwhile, Azizurrahman Muhajir, head of the Taliban’s Directorate for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat, stated during a meeting with Shia scholars that Muharram ceremonies must be held only in locations authorised by local authorities. His remarks were published by Bakhtar News Agency, the Taliban’s official outlet.

Similar confrontations between Taliban forces and Shia mourners were reported last year during Muharram in the Jebrael area, a predominantly Shia district in Herat.

According to Russian state media outlet TASS, Hassan is set to officially begin his diplomatic mission as the Taliban's envoy in Moscow. A source at the Afghan embassy in Moscow also confirmed to Agence France-Presse that his arrival had been expected on Tuesday.

Hassan becomes the highest-ranking Taliban diplomat to assume a post at the Afghan embassy in Russia since the group returned to power in August 2021. He previously served as the Taliban’s consul in Quetta, Pakistan.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced last month that Russia had formally approved Hassan’s appointment. In a meeting in Kabul last month, Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov handed over Moscow’s official letter of approval to the Taliban’s acting foreign minister.

Russia had earlier removed the Taliban from its list of banned organisations and signalled its intention to elevate diplomatic ties. While Moscow, like most other governments, has not formally recognised the Taliban government, it has established extensive economic and diplomatic relations with the group.

Medical staff at a local hospital in Badakhshan confirmed that the fatalities occurred over two days of unrest. Six people, including a woman, were reportedly killed on Monday, while two more died on Tuesday. The condition of several of the injured remains critical.

Earlier reports cited five deaths and at least 20 injuries in the clashes. Hospital sources later revised the toll upward as more casualties were confirmed.

Taliban-appointed governor of Badakhshan, Mohammad Ayoub Khalid, acknowledged the civilian deaths in an interview with the BBC. He claimed the casualties were the result of “accidental fire” by Taliban forces. He also confirmed that special forces were deployed to Khash to suppress the protests.

The violence began after Taliban units were dispatched to the district to destroy poppy fields. The killing of local farmers triggered widespread anger among residents, who blocked roads leading to Faizabad and Baharak and stormed the district administration building, damaging parts of the facility.

This is not the first time Taliban forces have clashed with local farmers in Badakhshan, a province known for significant opium cultivation. Similar confrontations occurred last year in Jurm district after Taliban attempts to eradicate poppy crops.

Recently, the Afghanistan Analysts Network reported that the Taliban's efforts to enforce a nationwide drug ban have largely failed in Badakhshan. The report noted that some local Taliban officials have been unwilling to implement the ban, despite direct orders from the group’s leadership.

In response, farmers have adopted more covert methods to continue poppy cultivation such as disguising crops among other plants, farming in enclosed or remote areas, leasing land, or partnering with local residents to evade detection.