A sticky bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded in Faizabad, killing at least three police officers and wounding five others. The officers were part of a convoy on their way to destroy poppy crops in the area.
Faizabad, Afghanistan - A sticky bomb explosion in northeastern Afghanistan on Wednesday killed at least three police officers and wounded five others, officials said.
The bomb was attached to a motorcycle and exploded in Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan province, as a convoy of security forces was passing through, said Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the Taliban's interior ministry.
Qani said the officers were on their way to destroy poppy crops in the area. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
The incident comes amid ongoing protests in Badakhshan against the Taliban's poppy eradication campaign. On Friday, a man was shot and killed by Taliban forces after resisting poppy eradication attempts in Darayum district. Another was killed on Saturday during a protest in Argo district.
In response to the protests, a high-ranking Taliban delegation led by the chief of military staff, Fasihudin Fitrat, visited the region and negotiated with protesters. Fitrat said Tuesday in a video message that he had addressed people's complaints and that the situation was under control. He added that locals backed poppy eradication across Badakhshan.
Poppy cultivation is a major source of income for farmers in Afghanistan, but it is also a major source of revenue for the Taliban, who tax poppy farmers and traffickers. The Taliban has pledged to eradicate poppy cultivation in the country, but it is unclear how effective they will be in doing so.
The United States and other Western countries have long called on the Taliban to crack down on poppy cultivation, but the Taliban has resisted these calls, arguing that poppy cultivation is a legitimate source of income for farmers.
The Taliban's poppy eradication campaign is likely to face significant challenges, including resistance from farmers, traffickers, and the Taliban's own rank and file. It remains to be seen whether the Taliban will be able to successfully eradicate poppy cultivation in Afghanistan.
In the meantime, the Taliban's poppy eradication campaign is likely to continue to lead to violence and instability in Afghanistan. The sticky bomb attack in Faizabad is a reminder of the challenges that the Taliban faces in its efforts to eradicate poppy cultivation in the country.
