Taliban agrees to accept protesters’ demands and replace forces in Badakhshan: Official

BADAKHSHAN (Khaama Press): Following public protests in two districts of Badakhshan, the Ministry of the Interior of the Taliban has stated that it is changing the structure of its forces in this province.

Abdul Matin Qaneh, spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior, told the BBC that they have accepted the protesters’ demands in Badakhshan and plan to replace the forces in the province with new ones.

Mr Qaneh also stated that the killers of two individuals who died as a result of protests against the destruction of poppy fields in Badakhshan would be brought to justice. Meanwhile, residents of these two districts in Badakhshan demand that the two deceased be tried by the Taliban in a special court.

Two individuals were killed in shootings in the districts of Darayim and Argo in Badakhshan, and another was injured.

Argo is one of the districts in Badakhshan where poppy cultivation is most prevalent. The spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior of the de facto administration says that the fight against poppy cultivation in the province continues and the situation has returned to normal.

It is reported that eight people have also been arrested during these protests, and a delegation led by Fasihuddin Fitrat, the Chief of Army Staff of the Taliban, has been sent to Badakhshan to resolve the tensions through dialogue.

For several days, protesters in the districts of Darayim and Argo in Badakhshan have been demanding the expulsion of “non-native forces” from the province following the killing of civilians and raids on poppy fields.