A violent dispute over control of gold mines in Afghanistan’s northern Takhar province has entered a deadly new phase, with at least five Chinese nationals kidnapped and killed, according to local sources.
The victims were working for the Dayulong Zhiren Mining Company when armed men linked to a Kandahari Taliban faction stormed the site, witnesses said. The attackers set fire to the mining facility, destroying heavy machinery and the processing unit, and caused losses estimated in the millions of dollars.
Local residents said the conflict has been simmering for the past two weeks, after Taliban commanders from Kandahar forcibly took over gold mines from local communities and handed them to their own supporters. Work later began at the site with the help of Chinese experts, triggering anger among locals who say they were displaced without any compensation.
Clashes have repeatedly erupted in the area. Two days ago, at least six people were killed in fighting between locals and the Kandahari group, an incident later confirmed by the Taliban interior ministry. A week earlier, another confrontation at the same site left five local residents dead. The ongoing violence has effectively turned the area into a battlefield.
Eyewitnesses said the latest attack was sudden and coordinated. Gunmen opened fire, seized the Chinese workers, and later killed them before setting the processing plant and equipment ablaze. The fire was so intense that the entire facility was reduced to ashes.
Security sources said the attack is a direct result of the struggle for control over the gold mines. The local population remains deeply angry over the involvement of non-local armed groups, while the Kandahari faction is trying to expand its influence through force.
The incident occurred despite the presence of a high-level Taliban delegation sent from Kandahar by Taliban chief Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada to investigate mining disputes and unrest in the region.
The killings have raised serious concerns in Beijing and are being seen as a major threat to Chinese interests and investments in Afghanistan. After the attack, security was tightened in the area, and authorities said operations were under way to arrest those responsible, though tensions remain high.
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