Over the past two years, the Taliban have clashed with farmers over poppy cultivation in several districts of Badakhshan province, resulting in the deaths of several individuals. In the latest incident, sources report that Taliban fighters executed six residents of Khash district by firing squad. Sources also indicate that more than 30 others were injured in the Taliban’s gunfire. The Taliban have cut off telecommunications antennas in the district, raising concerns that the casualty toll may be higher than reported.
Yesterday, dozens of armed Taliban fighters, intending to destroy poppy fields in Khash district, faced resistance from residents. After the confrontations, the Taliban opened fire on the crowd, killing six people and injuring more than 20.
This morning, as residents gathered for the funeral of those killed yesterday, the Taliban again fired on the crowd, resulting in one death and 12 injuries. According to sources, the wounded were transferred to the provincial hospital in Fayzabad city, with some reported to be in critical condition.
Sources note that due to the disruption of internet and telecommunication services and limited access to information, the number of casualties and victims of this incident is likely higher than reported. The figures provided are based solely on those killed or injured who were transferred to the provincial hospital in Fayzabad City.
Sources report that this morning, during the funeral of those killed yesterday, the Taliban once again opened fire on the gathered crowd, resulting in one death and 12 injuries. The wounded were taken to the provincial hospital in Fayzabad, with some in critical condition.
A source, speaking anonymously to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, said that yesterday, approximately 50 Taliban Ranger vehicles were dispatched to Khash district to eradicate opium cultivation. The source stated: “The Taliban first went to the Tajik village and faced protests from residents. There, one woman and two men were killed, and they fled. Then they moved toward Shahran village, shooting at anyone engaged in farming along the way. In Shahran, six people were killed, and about 20 were injured.”
Another source reported that four people were killed on the spot due to Taliban gunfire in Khash, and three others, who were taken to the health center in Baharak district, succumbed to their injuries there. According to the source, two women were among the injured, and some of the wounded were transferred to the provincial hospital in Fayzabad.
A medical source confirmed that four people were killed in the Taliban’s gunfire in Khash yesterday, and one of the injured, who was taken to the Baharak district health center, died there. The source added that more than 20 others were injured in the Taliban’s shooting in Khash district yesterday.
Clashes in Badakhshan province, particularly in Khash district, have intensified due to the Taliban’s efforts to destroy poppy fields. Local farmers say that, amid rising poverty and unemployment, they have turned to opium cultivation, and the Taliban’s destruction of their poppy fields has exacerbated their poverty and hunger.
Some residents stated that instead of implementing alternative measures or providing substitute plans, the Taliban are using light and heavy weapons to destroy their opium fields, an action the farmers refuse to accept until compensation and alternative livelihoods are provided.
Local sources in Khash district reported that the recent casualties and injuries in clashes with the Taliban were primarily poor farmers who, due to poverty and lack of alternative livelihoods, resorted to opium cultivation. These sources emphasized that instead of targeting drug traffickers, who operate freely, the Taliban are confronting impoverished farmers. They accused the Taliban of involvement in drug trafficking, stating that if the group were not complicit, drug traffickers would not move freely in armored vehicles.
Residents of Khash had previously clashed with the Taliban on 19 June 2025. During those protests, demonstrators confronted Taliban forces and set fire to three tractors belonging to the Taliban’s anti-narcotics department.
Meanwhile, videos circulating on social media show residents protesting in the streets and blocking roads against the Taliban. Some local users in Badakhshan have condemned the Taliban’s actions, sarcastically noting that the group discriminates ethnically against people under the pretext of eradicating opium cultivation, while local Taliban members remain silent out of fear.
Social media users in Badakhshan shared a photo of a young man named Zainuddin, stating that he had returned to Shahran village in Khash district after years of living in Iran and was killed by the Taliban.
Simultaneously, videos circulating on social media show residents protesting in the streets and blocking roads against the Taliban. Some Badakhshan social media users have condemned the Taliban’s actions, sarcastically remarking that the group discriminates against people under the guise of eradicating opium cultivation, while local Taliban members remain silent due to fear.
Recently, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) published a report indicating that by 2023, approximately 27,000 people in Afghanistan, including 2,670 women and 2,150 children under 15, were engaged in high-risk drug use. The findings reveal that nearly half of high-risk drug users had no formal education. According to the report, one in five was homeless, and many relied on irregular work or criminal activities to fund their drug use.
The report indicates a decline in cannabis and opium use but a significant increase in the use of synthetic drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine. These substances carry higher risks, including severe addiction, overdose, poisoning, infectious diseases among intravenous users, anxiety, depression, isolation, and various forms of psychological and physical harm.
Various UN agencies have confirmed that banning opium cultivation without providing alternative livelihood programs, particularly in resilient agriculture, has not only increased poverty and economic instability but also expanded the production and consumption chain of synthetic drugs. Reports note that the reduction in opium production has created opportunities for increased production of synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and possibly fentanyl. The reports emphasize that without comprehensive agricultural economic alternatives, the opium cultivation ban has led to increased poverty, reduced economic resilience, and potential instability.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
اعتراض مردم خاش به تخریب کشت تریاک؛ طالبان با تیراندازی واکنش نشان داد
