Concerns over renewed fighting in Badakhshan.
Reports indicate that a bloody clash between the Taliban in Badakhshan over a gold mine has left 15 dead.
Following a dispute over the Ablor gold mine in Yawan district of Badakhshan province, a fierce clash has broken out between Tajik and Pashtun Taliban fighters.
Local sources have confirmed that 15 people, including 10 Pashtun Taliban and five Badakhshan Taliban, have been killed in the clash.
Following the incident, the Pashtun Taliban have sent new forces to the area by land and air.
Reports indicate that the Tajik Taliban have retreated to the mountains after the clash and that both sides are preparing for a new battle.
At the same time, sources have reported the killing of Mohammad Salim Sharifi, the Taliban’s rights manager in Yawan.
According to reports, Mohammad Ayub Khalid, the Taliban governor in Badakhshan, has handed over the mine to the Kandaharis and prohibited local people from approaching it, a move that has increased tensions among the local Taliban.
