Sources: Taliban-Backed Assembly in Chah Ab Held Under Intelligence Pressure.
Residents of Chah Ab district in Takhar province report that a recent gathering with the participation of the Taliban-appointed governor was held under pressure and threats from Taliban intelligence, forcing people to attend.
They said the event neither reflected the wishes of local residents nor included representatives of the protesting population.
Local sources stress that many attendees were primarily individuals close to the Taliban, present to chant slogans supporting the group.
According to reports, Mawlawi Samiullah Hizbullah, the Taliban governor of Takhar, visited the Semeeti area of Chah Ab with a delegation and organized a ceremony in support of the “Islamic Emirate of the Taliban.”
Residents claim that banners and slogan posters were transported from the provincial center of Taloqan, and people were compelled to chant in support of the Taliban under intelligence pressure.
This follows widespread public demonstrations in Chah Ab about two weeks earlier, protesting the activities of Taliban-linked companies in gold mining.
The demonstrations resulted in clashes, leaving three residents dead and 16 others injured.
Local sources also report ongoing widespread arrests in the Semeeti area, and residents continue to demand the halt of gold extraction by Taliban-affiliated companies.
