Deadly Clashes in Badakhshan as Taliban Crack Down on Poppy Fields

DID Press: At least two people have been killed and several others injured during ongoing protests in the Argo district of Badakhshan province, where local residents are opposing Taliban efforts to destroy opium poppy fields.

Local sources say the protests, which began on Friday, have entered a second day of escalation. One victim reportedly died on Friday, while a second was killed early Saturday, 19 Thawra, after direct gunfire by Taliban forces.

Eyewitness videos circulating on social media show large crowds gathering in protest, with tensions rapidly escalating into violent confrontations. According to local reports, the situation remains unstable and the number of casualties could rise.

Residents claim Taliban forces have restricted mobile networks in parts of the province in an attempt to control the situation.

The clashes reportedly began in the village of Atanjlo when Taliban units entered the area to destroy poppy cultivation fields and used force to disperse demonstrators.

In recent days, provincial Taliban officials, including the governor and his deputy, had urged residents in several districts to cooperate with anti-poppy operations.

Similar confrontations have occurred in previous years in the region, where resistance to crop eradication efforts has repeatedly led to deadly clashes between locals and Taliban forces.