Taliban Destroys 800 sq.m. Opium Field in Ghazni Province

DID Press: Taliban officials in Ghazni Province reported the discovery and destruction of an 800-square-meter opium poppy cultivation.

Ezzatullah Saeedi, spokesperson for the provincial governor, stated that Taliban forces identified and eradicated the opium field in Nawa. He noted that this operation marks the first drug eradication initiative of the year 1405 (Afghan calendar).

Saeedi also claimed that drug trafficking and sales in the province have “almost” been reduced to zero—a statement that contrasts with domestic and international reports indicating that cultivation and smuggling continue across various regions of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) highlighted in a recent report that poppy cultivation patterns are shifting from southwestern to northeastern regions of the country.

The report emphasized that limited agricultural support, lack of livelihood alternatives, and weak social services—particularly in women’s health and education—pose significant challenges for rural communities.

Although Mullah Hibatullah issued a decree in 1401 banning the cultivation, production, and trafficking of narcotics, multiple reports since then indicate that such activities persist in several provinces.