Badghis Province

Baghdis Province is in the north of Afghanistan, sparsely populated, and the second least developed province of the country. Nevertheless, it is strategically significant; it was the first northern province taken by the Taliban during their rise to power in late 1996.

"The Taliban later used Badghis as a springboard to launch a series of military offensives across northern Afghanistan, including attacks in Faryab, Jawzjan and the particularly bloody assault on Balkh province." It is again attracting Taliban attention.

In February 2009, a U.S. airstrike killed the Taliban shadow governor of Baghdis province and eight other Taliban, in the Balamurghab district near the border with Turkmenistan.

"Mullah Dastagir, the shadow governor of Badghis province, was killed in the Sunday night airstrike in the Balamurghab district along with his brother Mullah Nabi Jan, another known Taliban commander named Mawlawi Hayatullah, and five other Taliban fighters. US and Afghan Army forces called in the airstrike after surrounding Dastagir's compound. Dastagir commanded more than 300 full-time Taliban fighters and another 300 part-time fighters."