Sources from the Argu district in the northeastern province of Badakhshan said on Monday that Taliban opened fire on protesters in the village of Barlas in Argu, resulting in three deaths and 15 injuries.
The protests, which resumed on Monday, May 13, in Argu following the Taliban’s repeated destruction of poppy fields, have yet to receive an official response from the Taliban.
Amid the violence, messages are circulating in Argu urging people to stand with the protesters.
Sources report that the Taliban violently suppressed these demonstrations.
These incidents in Barlas come nearly two weeks after prior protests against the Taliban’s policies in Badakhshan led to deaths in the districts of Darayim and Argu, with 15 more injured following Taliban gunfire.
According to sources, the protests began after midday today when the Taliban once again targeted local poppy fields. No official statement has been made by the Taliban regarding these latest protests.
Human rights activists, political figures, and movements describe these protests as “a stand against tyranny,” countering the Taliban’s claim that the unrest stems from opposition to the destruction of poppy fields.
