It was established in 1964 whenQataghan Province was divided into three provinces: Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar. During the 1980sSoviet–Afghan War, the area fell under the influence ofRabbani andAhmad Shah Massoud. It was controlled by theNorthern Alliance in the 1990s. It experienced some fighting between the Northern Alliance and theTaliban forces. Takhar holds notoriety as the location whereMujahideen Commander Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated on 9 September 2001 by suspectedal-Qaeda agents.
Following the September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, and amidst the United States' intervention, General Mohamad Daud and General Shajahan Noori, both widely recognized figures, played instrumental roles in leading the Afghanistan government forces to reclaim control of the northeastern province from the Taliban.
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) took over security responsibility of the area in the early 2000s, which was led byGermany. The province also began to see some developments and the establishment ofAfghan National Security Forces (ANSF). In a minor incident in July 2008, theAfghan National Police killed Mullah Usman when several armed Taliban militants under his command raided a police checkpoint in theKalafgan district. This was the first time since the fall ofTaliban regime in 2001 that the Taliban insurgents engaged police in this province. Mullah Usman was the most senior Taliban commander in the northeast region of Afghanistan, according to theAfghan Interior Ministry.[6]
In May 2009, Taliban insurgents fighting Afghan government attacked theBaharak district in Takhar province.[7] A bomb attack on 28 May 2011 killedGeneral Shahjahan Noori,Mohammed Daud Daud and injured Governor Taqwa. Several German soldiers and Afghans were also killed.[8][9]
In April 2012, the water supply at theRostaq district's school for girls was poisoned by unknown insurgents, sickening at least 140 Afghan schoolgirls and teachers ranging in age from 14 to 30, causing them to be hospitalized and some to partially lose consciousness, though there were no deaths as a result of the incident.[10]
During the 2021 Taliban offensive, Takhar Province experienced attacks as the withdrawal of US troops took place. In response, Mohibullah Noori emerged as a prominent figure, leading the second resistance to support security forces and prevent the Taliban from taking control of Taluqan city. On 8 August 2021, the Taliban eventually gained control of the province but despite this, the Resistance Forces have remained present in the area.
On 26 October, the 7.5MwHindu Kush earthquake shook northernAfghanistan with a maximumMercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). This earthquake destroyed almost 30,000 homes, left several hundred dead, and more than 1,700 injured.[11]
As of 2021, the total population of the province is about 1,113,173[4] which is mostly tribal and a rural society. The main inhabitants of Takhar province are majorityTajiks andUzbeks with a very smallPashtun minority (Naqileen). Other smaller ethnic groups includeHazaras,Gujars andBalochi.
^Note: "Predominantely" or "dominated" is interpreted as 99%, "majority" as 70%, "mixed" as 1/(number of ethnicities), "minority" as 30% and "few" or "some" as 1%.
Agriculture andmining are the main industries of the province. Takhar hascoal reserves which are being exploited by hand in some villages and sold in the region. The local population considersgold the most relevant resource for the Province. Gold is being washed in Takhar River, and about 2 kg are being transported to the specific weekly markets in the city of Taloqan. Also the city is a main source of construction materials like: loam, sand, and different types of stones. Takhar province is known for its salt mountains and you can find large deposits of fine salt in the region. The Takcha Khanna salt mine is one of the growing number of salt supplier, for the population of Takhar and northern Afghanistan. While the mines offer economic opportunities in the region, the availability of iodized salt considerably reduces the prevalence of health problems related to iodine deficiency.
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