Local sources say the Taliban governor for Badakhshan, the group’s head of mines, and a unit known as the “Black-Clad” force have traveled to Khwahan district in the province.
The sources said on Friday, June 26, that the Taliban officials arrived in Khwahan amid escalating tensions and the continued confiscation of weapons from local residents and miners.
The development comes after sources previously reported the launch of a disarmament operation in the villages of Awiz, Payan Mor, and Abgandah in Badakhshan Province.
According to the sources, the Taliban have so far collected around 70 firearms from miners and local residents.
In recent days, as tensions have risen in Badakhshan, the Taliban’s Defense Minister, Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid, also visited the province.
The Taliban said the purpose of the defense minister’s visit was to assess the security situation along the Wakhan, Ishkashim, and Shighnan border areas. However, some sources believe the visit may also have been linked to the recent security developments and escalating tensions in Badakhshan.
The Taliban have not yet officially commented on the details of the visit by the group’s governor, the Taliban’s head of mines, or the deployment of the unit known as the “Black-Clad” force to Khwahan district.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
