| Takhār (تخار) | |
| Province | |
| Country | Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Capital | Taloqan |
| - coordinates | |
| Area | 12,333 km2 (4,762 sq mi) |
| Population | 886,400 (2009) |
| Timezone | UTC+4:30 |
| Main languages | Persian Uzbek Pashto |
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Map of Afghanistan with Takhar highlighted
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Takhār (Persian: تخار) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It was established in 1964 when Qataghan Province was divided into three provinces: Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar. It is in the north-east of the country. Its capital is Taloqan. Its salt mines are one of Afghanistan's major mineral resources. General Mohammed Daud Daud, the Deputy Minister of the Interior for Counter Narcotics in Afghanistan before he was killed, was a former governor of the Takhar province.[1] The current governor is Abdul Jabbar Taqwa.
Takhar also holds notoriety as the location where Afghan mujahideen leader Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated on September 9, 2001 by suspected al-Qaeda agents.
The major ethnic groups in the province are Tajiks who form majority there, followed by Uzbeks and a minority Pashtun population. Since the people of Takhar take revange on Pashtuns for the crimes the Taliban (mainly Pashtuns) did to non-Pashtuns, the number of Pashtuns decreases like in some other districts and provinces of northern Afghanistan.
Contents |
| District | Capital | Population | Area[2] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baharak | Created in 2005 within Taluqan District | |||
| Bangi | ||||
| Chah Ab | ||||
| Chal | ||||
| Darqad | ||||
| Dashti Qala | Created in 2005 within Khwaja Ghar District | |||
| Farkhar | ||||
| Hazar Sumuch | Created in 2005 within Taluqan District | |||
| Ishkamish | ||||
| Kalafgan | ||||
| Khwaja Baha Wuddin | Created in 2005 within Yangi Qala District | |||
| Khwaja Ghar | Sub-divided in 2005 | |||
| Namak Ab | Created in 2005 within Taluqan District | |||
| Rustaq | ||||
| Taluqan | Sub-divided in 2005 | |||
| Warsaj | ||||
| Yangi Qala | Sub-divided in 2005 |
In a small incident in July 2008, the Afghans police killed Taliban militia commander Mullah Usman when several armed militants under his command raided a police checkpoint in the Kalafgan district. This was the first time since the fall of Taliban regime in 2001 that the Taliban engaged police in this thusfar relatively peaceful province. Mullah Usman was the most senior Taliban commander in the northeast region of Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry.[3]
In May 2009, Taliban insurgents fighting Afghan government attacked the Baharak district in Takhar province.[4]
A suicide bombing on May 28, 2011, killed Mohammed Daud Daud and injured Governor Taqwa. Several German soldiers and Afghans were also killed.[5]
| Tajikistan | ||||
| Kunduz Province | Badakhshan Province | |||
| Takhar Province | ||||
| Baghlan Province | Panjshir Province |
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