Military aircraft attack protesters in Khash, Badakhshan under fire and nearly eighty killed and injured so far
Siege, blood and deadly silence in Khash As popular protests in Badakhshan province increase, Khash district has become the scene of bloody repression and a humanitarian disaster.
Local sources report that over the past two days, Taliban forces have killed at least 15 civilians, injured more than 50, and arrested dozens of others.
At the same time, the Taliban have blocked access roads, cut off telecommunications antennas, and effectively turned the area into a war zone.
According to local residents, the crisis began on Monday, July 29, when the people of Khash took to the streets to protest the discriminatory, humiliating behavior and armed presence of the Taliban.
The Taliban responded by sending in special forces and opening fire directly at the protesters.
One of the victims, Zainuddin, was a young man who had recently returned from Iran and had no involvement in the protests.
As the violence escalated, the Taliban closed all entrances to the area, prevented the wounded from being taken to hospital, and in several cases threatened to arrest blood donors.
Reports indicate that half of the wounded are in the provincial hospital, but they are facing a severe blood shortage.
On Tuesday, July 1, as families were carrying the bodies of the dead for burial, the Taliban again opened fire on the people;
an incident that left one dead and twelve others wounded.
In response to this widespread crackdown, angry protesters set fire to the district building and took a number of Taliban officials prisoner.
The Taliban have also flown dozens of new forces from the provincial capital, Faizabad, to Khash by helicopter to retake control of the area.
Sources say the forces have been deployed from remote areas and do not understand the local language or culture.
Residents of Khash say the Taliban are now stationed in every alley and street. Men and women are not allowed to leave their homes.
Those with a history of working in the previous government have been particularly targeted. Concerns about sexual assault on women have also risen sharply.
Human rights activists have warned that Badakhshan is on the brink of an ethnic catastrophe.
Many international observers say the crackdown on protests in Khash is not only a sign of Taliban tyranny, but also a sign of the fragility of the group’s internal structure.
Meanwhile, some security sources in Badakhshan confirm that the popular protests in the province have been strengthened by the support of a number of former Badakhshan commanders who have defected from the Taliban.
These commanders, who were marginalized after the Taliban took control, have now re-entered the fray and in some cases have even clashed with the Taliban.
