RASC News Agency: Local sources from Badakhshan province report that the Taliban’s campaign to destroy poppy fields has incited violent clashes with local residents. On Wednesday, July 3, local sources informed the media that the confrontation occurred between residents of Kargayan village in Darayem district, Badakhshan province, and the Taliban.
According to the sources, the conflict erupted after the Taliban destroyed poppy fields, prompting locals to protest and clash with the group. The sources added that as a result of this clash, three residents were injured after being shot by Taliban members. Although local Taliban officials have not commented on the incident, sources reported that the Taliban’s police commander in Badakhshan suppressed the protests.
It is noteworthy that similar clashes occurred in May this year in several districts, including Darayem, following the destruction of poppy fields. In those incidents, two residents were killed. Since the Taliban took control of the country, poverty and unemployment have surged, with no alternative employment opportunities for the youth or substitutes for poppy cultivation provided by the Taliban.
