A day after the fall of Keran Wa Manjan district of Badakhshan to the Taliban, almost 110 members of the public uprising forces who fled to the neighboring Nuristan province said they attempted through many channels but the relevant officials did not pay attention their plight. 

The district, which has the biggest deposits of lapis lazuli, fell to the Taliban on July 24.

The soldiers said they walked for 22 hours from Keran Wa Manjan district to Parun, the center of Nuristan, which shares borders with Badakhshan. 

The police chief for Keran Wa Manjan district, Abdul Wali Hussaini, said they fought against the Taliban for nine days, but they were forced to leave the district after their ammunition ended. 

“We phoned the Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the secretary of Mr. [Chief Executive Abdullah] Abdullah, the Badakhshan police chief, Badakhshan governor and even we phoned Badakhshan MPs, but no one heard our voice,” Hussaini said.  

He said that at least 60 members of the public uprising and police force members surrendered to the Taliban. 

“The clash in our village continued for nine days. Then we understood the reinforcement and ammunition will not arrive and then we left the district,” said Zafaruddin, a member of public uprising forces in Keran Wa Manjan. 

“People left the district as they did not have other option,” said Mohammad, member of public uprising forces in Keran Wa Manjan. 

The lapis lazuli deposit in Keran Wa Manjan district in Badakhshan fell to the Taliban on July 17. 

At least 20 security force members were deployed to protect the deposit. Many mineral deposits are located in disputed areas between the security forces and the Taliban in different parts of the country. Reports indicate that the Taliban receive a big amount of income from illegal mining.

“Some members of local police and public uprising forces unit have come to Nuristan,” the Nuristan Police Chief Saber Aryan said.