TAKHAR: A rocket attack targeted a Chinese mining company operating in the Chinarak Valley of Takhar province on Monday, killing one Chinese national and wounding two others, sources confirmed.
The attack struck the mining facility where Chinese workers and experts were engaged in gold extraction projects under agreements with the Taliban administration. The victims were part of a team involved in exploration and mining operations in the area.
The incident has drawn sharp attention to the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan’s mineral-rich provinces, where foreign investors have been increasingly exposed to militant attacks, local rivalries, and armed conflict over disputed lands and resources.
China has been one of the few nations actively investing in Afghanistan’s mining sector under the Taliban regime, with gold deposits in Takhar and other provinces drawing significant interest. Beijing has sought to secure access to Afghanistan’s vast mineral wealth, estimated to be worth trillions of dollars, as part of its broader regional economic strategy.
However, the attack has exposed the Taliban administration’s growing failure to protect foreign nationals and assets in areas where they have sought to attract international investment. Despite repeated assurances of security, the Taliban’s forces have proven unable to control militant activity or resolve local disputes that often escalate into violence.
Local rivalries over gold deposits and mining rights have fueled persistent tensions in the Chinarak Valley and surrounding areas. Competing armed groups, tribal factions, and opportunistic militants have turned these resources into flashpoints, with foreign workers frequently caught in the crossfire.
