Overview
- Violence erupted Tuesday at the Samti gold deposit in Chah Ab, Takhar province, during protests over the project.
- The Interior Ministry reported four dead and five wounded, saying three residents and one company employee were killed.
- The Mines and Petroleum Ministry, quoted by AFP, reported at least six fatalities, highlighting discrepancies in official counts.
- Authorities said security forces restored order, suspended the company’s operations, and opened an investigation after a site visit by the deputy governor.
- Two suspects—a company security employee and a local resident—were arrested, as locals allege environmental damage and exclusion from profits tied to a reported $310 million, five-year contract.