Afghanistan: Blood and Fury in Badakhshan: Protests over Mines and Poppy Met with Death

May 10, 2026
Hasht-e-Subh Daily
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The Taliban have killed four people and wounded several others in the Shekay and Argo districts of Badakhshan province after residents protested against mining operations and the destruction of opium poppy fields. Local sources in Badakhshan say hundreds of fresh Taliban fighters have been deployed from the south to the province to eradicate poppy cultivation. As the group pressed ahead with the destruction in Argo, it once again ran into public protests. Taliban fighters then opened fire on residents, and the deaths of one child and one man have so far been confirmed. In a separate incident at a gold mine in Shekay district, two more people were killed, and two others were wounded. In recent days, numerous videos have circulated on social media showing Taliban fighters using livestock and schoolchildren to destroy poppy fields.