Unemployment Among Taliban Fighters and Rising Armed Robberies.
Local sources in Takhar say the Taliban’s recent arrests in the province are largely for publicity purposes, and the authenticity of many of these claims is questionable.
According to these sources, the Taliban’s police command in Takhar recently announced the arrest of a thief; however, residents insist that robbery, banditry, and armed theft have increased in Taloqan and surrounding districts, with many incidents carried out by individuals dressed like Taliban members and carrying similar weapons.
They say the Taliban take a few photos of questionable arrests and declare the cases closed, even though the identities of the detainees remain unclear. Residents across Takhar report a rise in mobile-phone thefts, shop burglaries, and nighttime robberies along district routes. Reports indicate that groups disguised as Taliban are responsible, and livestock theft has also increased in areas near Urta-Buz hill, Abdal, and the Baharak crossroads.
In Farkhar, a four-member armed group using an old Gulf-model vehicle reportedly stops travelers and steals belongings during the night.
Local sources emphasize that, aside from the Taliban, no one in Takhar has the ability or permission to carry weapons or conduct armed robberies. They believe that after the Taliban’s internal purge—carried out by a commission known as Kore-Katana—and the resulting unemployment of hundreds of fighters, organized robbery networks have emerged in various provinces. Due to the absence of free media and widespread fear among the population, many cases of harassment, administrative corruption, and serious violations go unreported.
