gold mines Afghanistan

This photograph taken on July 28, 2026 shows an Afghan miner pouring water over a sieve to separate dirt and stones from gold nuggets at Gulak-Dara valley in Shiwa area of Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan province. (AFP)

Afghanistan's gold rush upends lives and landscapes

Thousands of miners are deployed across the gold-rich Badakhshan province, extracting gold for investors nationwide, with some residents in the area having profited from the gold rush, only to regret it later.

August 13, 2026

Juma Khan Fatah, a deputy governor of Zabul province in Afghanistan, has become a focal point of Afghan Taliban internal disputes over control of valuable mining operations. (8am Media)

Afghan Taliban's internal divisions exposed over northern commander's arrest order

Juma Khan Fatah, the northern commander, controls about 10,000 fighters in northern Afghanistan, with tensions stemming from disputes over valuable mining operations and control of resources.

June 21, 2026