According to Humayun Afghan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, the clashes in Chah Ab district have caused both human and economic losses.
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A Taliban official confirmed on Tuesday that several people were killed in clashes between local residents and mining company employees over gold mining operations in Takhar province in northern Afghanistan.
Humayun Afghan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, said the clashes in Chah Ab district had caused both human and economic losses. A ministry delegation has been sent to the scene to investigate.
Local residents said miners from other provinces had rebelled using stones and sticks after they destroyed a drinking water supply. Many people were killed in the clashes, while the miners fled.
Afghanistan has a wealth of resources, including gold, marble, minerals, gemstones and coal. The country's mineral wealth was estimated to be worth $1 trillion in 2010 and 2013, according to US and UN estimates.
The Taliban government has pledged to restore security to the country and has urged Afghan and foreign investors to exploit the country's underground wealth and ensure revenue flows.
