Taliban Announces Discovery Of Buddhist-Era Archaeological Sites In Laghman

The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture has reported the discovery of dozens of ancient sites in Laghman province.

Zabihullah Sadat, head of archaeology at the ministry, stated that these historical sites are located in the districts of Mehtarlam, Qarghayi, Alingar, and Alishang.

According to Sadat, most of these sites date back to the pre-Islamic and Buddhist periods, particularly the Mauryan and Kushan eras. He noted that 27 historical sites in Laghman have been identified and registered, including three in Mehtarlam, six in Qarghayi, 14 in Alingar, and four in Alishang.

On Saturday, the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture issued a statement announcing the discovery of three inscriptions in Alishang district, written in the Brahmi Sharada script. The ministry stated that these inscriptions have yet to be deciphered and require further research.

Despite their history of destroying the Bamiyan Buddha statues, the Taliban now refer to historical monuments and ancient sites as Afghanistan’s “spiritual treasures” and have pledged to protect them.