Taliban units leave district in Badakhshan amid poppy crop protests: Sources

Taliban counternarcotics units have withdrawn from the Khash district of Badakhshan Province following two days of local protests against the destruction of poppy fields, according to residents and local sources.

Sources told Amu TV that the demonstrations erupted after Taliban forces began eradicating poppy crops in the remote district, prompting pushback from farmers who rely on the cultivation of opium as a primary source of income.

Following the withdrawal, local residents set fire to five tractors belonging to the Taliban, according to the same sources.

One local figure, identified by sources as Amanuddin, a senior Taliban commander in Badakhshan, is said to have intervened and threatened demonstrators. No injuries have been reported, but tensions remain high.

Protesters say they will continue to resist efforts to destroy poppy crops in Badakhshan unless similar operations are also conducted in southern provinces such as Helmand and Kandahar, where large-scale cultivation reportedly continues with minimal interference.

Taliban have not commented publicly on the incident. They have pledged in recent years to eliminate poppy cultivation but have faced criticism over uneven enforcement and the economic fallout for farmers.