Afghanistan's Taliban have stepped up a major campaign against the cultivation of opium poppies despite widespread protests.
In the north-eastern province of Badakhshan, 1,000 hectares of cultivated land have been destroyed since the beginning of the operation, the Islamists' Ministry of Defence reported on X on Thursday. The operation will continue until the poppy-growing land is completely destroyed, it added.
According to a UN report from November, the cultivation of opium has decreased by 95% since the Taliban issued a ban in 2022.
In a country plagued by war and poverty, the cultivation of the drug is considered profitable and contributes to the survival of many farmers. Before the ban, around 90% of the opium poppy grown worldwide - which is the basis for heroin - came from Afghanistan.
Around 2,000 security personnel were deployed for the large-scale operation in Badakhshan, Afghan broadcaster Tolonews reported, citing local authority representatives.
According to the report, around 80 square kilometres of agricultural land were combed through.
In recent weeks, the destruction of poppy fields in the north-east had triggered serious and rarely seen protests. Security forces violently suppressed the demonstrations by farmers and residents of the region. Arrests were made and reports say some protesters were killed.
According to dpa information, wheat fields were also destroyed during the operation, which further fuelled discontent.