At least 10 Taliban fighters were killed in fierce clashes between rival factions of the group in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province, Afghan media reported on Monday.
The violence broke out Sunday evening in the Yalor village of Yaftal district, reportedly over control of a lucrative gold mine. According to sources, the fighting pitted Taliban militants from the southern Helmand province against local fighters from Badakhshan.
Eight of the dead were said to be from the Helmand faction, while two belonged to the local ranks. The fighting, which extended into Monday, left several others injured, though exact casualty figures remain unclear.
Among those killed were reportedly the district’s Taliban-appointed heads of justice and traffic departments.
Conflicting narratives have emerged around the cause of the skirmish. Some sources claim local Taliban initiated the confrontation, while others allege that fighters from southern Afghanistan—allegedly with support from Badakhshan’s Taliban governor and police chief—took control of the area’s gold mines, sidelining local militants from access to the revenue.
The Taliban’s central command has yet to issue any official statement.
Tensions over control of mineral-rich areas have become a growing source of friction within the Taliban ranks, particularly in northern provinces like Badakhshan, where competing factions vie for influence and economic dominance. Disputes over the spoils of war are increasingly threatening the group’s internal cohesion nearly four years after reclaiming power.
