Following clashes between Abdul Rahman Ammar, a local commander and former Taliban mining chief, and Shafiqullah Hafizi, the current head of Badakhshan mines, the Taliban group has deployed fresh forces from the center.
Sources say the Taliban considers Ammar a “rebel” and the deployed forces are tasked with arresting him and his men.
The main cause of these clashes in Badakhshan is disputes over control of gold mines.
It is said that Abdul Rahman Ammar is supported by Qari Fasihuddin, the Taliban army chief.
In the fighting so far, two people from the rebel commander’s side and one person named Abdul Aleem Hamidi, operations commander of the Taliban’s first brigade, have been killed.
After Monday morning, October 28th, more forces were deployed to the area from the center and Taliban helicopters are moving back and forth.
Abdul Rahman Ammar is stationed in a mountainous area, making it difficult for Taliban forces to engage with his loyal fighters. He is said to have four to five hundred armed men under his command.
