Armed clashes broke out between rival Taliban factions in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province over control of a gold mine, local sources said on Monday, underscoring growing tensions within the Taliban over access to natural resources.
The fighting occurred overnight in the Khastak valley of Jurm district between forces loyal to Badakhshan’s Taliban governor, Ismail Ghaznawi, and local Taliban members, the sources said.
One fighter aligned with the provincial governor was killed and two local Taliban members were wounded in the clashes, according to residents and local sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
Residents said the dispute centred on control and management of the Awishahr gold mine, with competition over economic resources in the area escalating into violence.
Taliban authorities in Badakhshan did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The incident is the latest in a series of internal disputes within the Taliban over lucrative mining sites since the group returned to power in 2021. Afghanistan is believed to hold vast untapped mineral resources, including gold, lithium and rare earth elements, which the Taliban see as a key source of revenue amid international sanctions and frozen assets.
Analysts say weak regulatory oversight, competition among Taliban factions and the involvement of local power brokers have increased the risk of violence around mining sites, particularly in remote areas.
The Taliban say they are working to regulate the mining sector and prevent illegal extraction, but critics argue that opaque contracting processes and internal rivalries continue to fuel such incidents.
