Taliban suspend mining operations in Badakhshan amid internal rifts

ISLAMABAD: The Taliban administration has suspended operations at several mines in Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan province as it reviews mining regulations, citing illegal extraction, disorder, and the seizure of mining sites as key reasons for the move.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced the decision during the second episode of the program "Government in the Mirror of the Press," according to Afghan media reports.

He said, “Mining activities at some sites would remain halted until the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum finalizes new extraction guidelines.”

According to Mujahid, “The measures are intended to curb unauthorized mining, improve oversight, and ensure mineral resources are extracted in accordance with revised standards.”

The suspension follows weeks of heightened tensions in Badakhshan, where disputes over control of lucrative mining sites have exposed divisions within the Taliban.

The group's leadership previously ordered a crackdown on what it described as illegal mining, a move that reportedly threatened the economic interests of some local Taliban commanders.

According to Afghan International, one of the most prominent disputes involved local Taliban commander Juma Khan Fateh, whose disagreements with senior Taliban officials over mining reportedly escalated to the point where both sides prepared for a possible armed confrontation. 

Local mine workers have also protested the prolonged closure of smaller workshops, alleging that operations connected to influential figures continued despite restrictions on ordinary miners.

Badakhshan has increasingly emerged as a center of both internal Taliban rivalries and anti-Taliban resistance. 

The mountainous province has witnessed the continued presence and periodic activity of resistance groups opposed to Taliban rule, including factions linked to the National Resistance Front, which have sought to exploit local grievances and security gaps. 

Analysts say tensions over the province's valuable mineral resources have added another layer of instability to an already volatile region.

Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has signed numerous mining contracts with domestic and foreign companies. However, questions over transparency, environmental safeguards, and the persistence of illegal mining continue to generate criticism from experts and local communities.