Fighting was reported between residents of Khwaja Bahauddin district in Takhar and members of the Kochi tribe over land ownership, leaving five people killed and wounded, sources said.
At least three videos were released on social media on Thursday, showing two groups of people, fighting against each other, some having wood on their hands while some having guns.
Three sources from the area said the Kochis have some from other parts of the country and claim they own lands in Muhajir Qishlaq and Shor Toghi villages in the district, something that has sparked reaction among the locals.
“I own agricultural land in the Katakjar village and it has not been grabbed so far. There are some land disputes in remote areas of Katakjar village where its residents are Uzbeks,” said Dawlat Mir, a resident of Khwaja Bahauddin.
“Those who claim the ownership of the lands look like Kochis and speak in Pashto and have had some clashes with locals in recent days,” said the resident.
Another source from the area said the fight happened in the Gulbahar and Shortoghi villages of the district, leaving four people wounded.
“Another clash has occurred in Katakjar village between armed Kochis and the local residents in which two residents of the area have been killed and three more have been wounded in firing by the Kochis,” said the source.
The Kochis prevented the residents of the area from collecting the yields of their farming lands, claiming the lands belonged to them, sources said.
Taliban rejected the claims, saying no clash has happened in the district.
“Some have claims on agricultural lands owned by residents of Muhajir Qishlaq and Shortoghi villages, but the issue has been shared with local officials,” said Mohibullah Nikzad, spokesman for the Taliban governor in Takhar.
A delegation is expected to visit the district soon to overcome the issue.
This comes as hundreds of families of the Kochis have migrated to Takhar over the past year after the Taliban takeover, claiming to own agricultural lands and houses that belonged to the local residents.
