Several residents of Koujan village in the Samher Valley, Paryan district, Panjshir province, say that the Taliban have forcibly displaced all families living in this village from their homes. They add that this action took place after a rocket attack by unknown individuals on the Paryan district headquarters, with the stated aim of searching for individuals linked to the resistance front. According to them, Taliban forces detained, beat, and interrogated local men before the forced displacement.
These residents, speaking with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, say that after clearing the valley, the Taliban have so far not allowed families to return to their homes. According to them, in addition to preventing residents from returning, the Taliban are also blocking the irrigation of agricultural land and the transfer of livestock to the pastures of this valley. They warn that as a result of these restrictions, wheat and barley crops, along with a large portion of their agricultural produce, are on the verge of destruction. According to the residents, this farmland and these pastures provide a significant part of the livelihood of local families, and the continuation of this situation is confronting the lives of dozens of families with serious economic and livelihood difficulties.
Sherálam (pseudonym), one of the residents of Koujan village in the Samher Valley of Panjshir province, says that after the rocket attack by unknown individuals on the Paryan district headquarters, the Taliban forcibly displaced the residents of this village from their homes. He adds that Taliban forces beat and interrogated local men while detaining them to force them to reveal the whereabouts of individuals linked to the resistance front. According to Sherálam, after clearing the village, the Taliban have not allowed residents to return to their homes and have also restricted their access to pastures and farmland. In his view, the continuation of these restrictions has caused a large portion of the people’s agricultural produce to be at risk of destruction, while this land is a key source of income and food for local families.
Sherálam says: “The Samher Valley belongs to Koujan village in Paryan district, and most of the land in this area is agricultural. People have planted wheat and barley on this land, but the Taliban not only do not allow people to be present in this valley, but have also prevented the irrigation of farmland and the tending of crops.”
Salem (pseudonym), another resident of Koujan village in the Samher Valley, says that during the harvest and storage season for agricultural produce, the Taliban forcibly displaced the residents of this area and also searched their homes. He adds that after detaining and beating local men, the Taliban subjected them to interrogation. According to Salem, the searching of homes and the interrogation of residents continued for about two days.
This Panjshir resident says: “It was six in the morning, and the livestock had just been taken out to pasture when a call came for all the men to come out of their houses. When we came out, there were about ten of us. Without asking us anything, they tied our hands and told us to move. After crossing the river, they said we had to show them the location of the resistance fighters’ base and sleeping quarters. No matter how much we said that no one from the resistance was present here and that we did not know their whereabouts, they did not accept it and would not even let us speak. They beat us with their fists, kicks, and rifle butts.”
Salem adds: “They searched everywhere with our hands tied, while we were still in our sleepwear, but they found no one. Then they took us down to the lower village. The Taliban had turned the village mosque into a place for interrogation and detention, and they held us there for several hours and interrogated us. After they were satisfied, they released us, but ordered that all those living in the summer pastures, along with their livestock, move to the village, and that no one would be allowed to go to the valley anymore. After that, they began searching homes and even checked women’s clothing bags, throwing the clothes out.”
This resident of the Samher Valley further adds that the Taliban have so far not allowed residents to return to their homes. According to him, the efforts of local elders to negotiate with the Taliban and obtain permission for people to return, irrigate their farmland and transfer livestock to the pastures have also produced no result.
This young man says: “These interrogations continued for several days, and people grew exhausted with this situation. The village elders, along with three village representatives, went to the commander of the Taliban’s central corps to seek permission for the livestock to move, for the farmland to be irrigated and for the displaced people to return. But the Taliban corps commander not only refused to meet with them, but called all the people of the village infidels and said, ‘I do not see a single Muslim in Koujan village.'”
Salem stresses that previously the only restriction in the area was a nighttime curfew, but now residents are under strict surveillance during the day as well, and are not allowed to gather in groups in one place.
Jamshid (pseudonym), another resident of Koujan village in the Samher Valley, says that in recent days, guerrilla attacks on Taliban checkpoints and bases in Panjshir have increased. He adds that after failing to identify those responsible for these attacks, the Taliban have put pressure on residents and are harassing them. According to him, alongside increasing their military presence, the Taliban have also begun building roads from villages to their checkpoints to facilitate the transport and use of heavy weapons.
This Panjshir resident says: “In recent days, attacks by resistance front fighters on Taliban bases and checkpoints have increased. In the summer, the people of Panjshir go to the summer pasture areas, but due to security concerns, the Taliban have moved them back to the villages. The situation in Panjshir has become very tense from a security standpoint. The Taliban are building roads from the villages to their bases and checkpoints so that they can transport heavy weapons. They are effectively preparing themselves for a war.”
In his view, the continuation of this situation is worrying for residents, particularly for families who are engaged in farming and livestock raising in the summer pasture areas, since the imposed restrictions have made their daily activities and livelihood difficult.
Koujan village is located in the Samher Valley of Paryan district, Panjshir province. Every year in the summer, residents of this area travel to this valley to tend their farmland, harvest crops, and look after their livestock. For several local families, this area is an important source of income and food.
Meanwhile, several Panjshir residents say that following the increase in attacks on Taliban positions in this province, the presence of the group’s forces and security measures in some areas has increased. They add that the intensification of security measures has also increased restrictions on people’s movement.
Previously, sources had told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that Taliban fighters in several districts of Badakhshan province had been placed on level one alert. These sources had added that there is a possibility of the collective disarmament of local Taliban forces in the districts of Sheki, Maimay, Nusay and Shahr-e Bozorg.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
