• Burmese
Friday, July 11, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
28 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Asia

Afghan Archaeologist Killed Near Buddhist Site, Giant Copper Reserve

Reuters by Reuters
June 4, 2018
in Asia
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0 0
A A
An Afghan archeologist cleans a headless Buddha statue discovered inside an ancient temple in Mes Aynak, Logar Province, Afghanistan, on Feb. 14, 2015. / Reuters

An Afghan archeologist cleans a headless Buddha statue discovered inside an ancient temple in Mes Aynak, Logar Province, Afghanistan, on Feb. 14, 2015. / Reuters

6.3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

KABUL — A roadside bomb killed an Afghan archaeologist near an ancient Buddhist excavation site, also home to the country’s largest copper reserve, raising concerns about increasing threats to government-backed projects, officials said on Sunday.

Security threats by insurgents have forced European and US archaeologists to pull out of the Mes Aynak site in recent years, leaving Afghan experts to pursue the work on their own and try to prevent rampant illegal mining.

Saturday’s attack wounded four employees of the Cultural Ministry near the excavation site, 40 km south of the capital, home to the remains of 5,000-year-old temples, residential areas, markets and a fortress.

RelatedPosts

Fraternal Facade: The Illusion of China-Myanmar Brotherhood at 75

Fraternal Facade: The Illusion of China-Myanmar Brotherhood at 75

June 10, 2025
1.8k
Myanmar Junta Promises Voting in 267 Townships

Myanmar Junta Promises Voting in 267 Townships

June 9, 2025
1.3k
Examining the Role of Private Security Firms in Chinese Force Projection

Examining the Role of Private Security Firms in Chinese Force Projection

April 3, 2025
1.7k

No group has claimed responsibility. Taliban militants, seeking to reimpose strict Islamic law after their 2001 ouster, blew up two ancient giant Buddha statues in Bamiyan province in March that year because they were deemed un-Islamic.

“We never thought such action would be taken against us, because we are neither military nor high-ranking government officials,” said archaeologist Mohammad Rabi Saber, a colleague of the victims. “But after this incident, a kind of fear has spread among the archaeology staff members.”

In 2008, a Chinese company, Metallurgical Corporation of China, was awarded a contract to recover copper from Mes Aynak but a series of protests to protect the Buddhist site stalled the project.

Afghan and international archaeologists began uncovering thousands of statues, manuscripts, coins and monuments at Mes Aynak in 2009. The government has said that all antiques from Mes Aynak will be excavated before mining begins.

The archaeologist who was killed, Abdul Wahab Ferozi, oversaw the repairs of more than 3,000 antiques from Mes Aynak that were handed to the National Museum in Kabul.

Police said Ferozi was on his way to the site when a remote-controlled bomb exploded near his car.

“We are trying the identify who planted the bomb. No insurgent group has claimed responsibility so far,” said Hashmat Stanakzai, spokesman for Kabul police.

At least 183 Afghan civilians were killed and 337 wounded in clashes and attacks nationwide in May, the Civilian Protection Advocacy Group, an independent monitor group, reported on Saturday.

Many local and international companies are reevaluating their hiring strategy because of the rising violence.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: Security
Reuters

Reuters

...

Similar Picks:

Reports of Forced Conscription by Myanmar’s Military Spark Panic in Yangon
Burma

Reports of Forced Conscription by Myanmar’s Military Spark Panic in Yangon

by Yuzana
November 24, 2023
11k

The former capital is turning into a ghost town after sunset as workers race to the safety of their homes...

Read moreDetails
Junta Passes Law Allowing Chinese Security Firms to Operate in Myanmar
Myanmar-China Watch

Junta Passes Law Allowing Chinese Security Firms to Operate in Myanmar

by Maung Kavi
February 19, 2025
8.4k

The law allows Chinese companies to provide security services for Chinese organizations, projects and businesses, as well as events involving...

Read moreDetails
With Proposed Security Gambit, Beijing Decides ‘Enough Is Enough’ in Myanmar
Analysis

With Proposed Security Gambit, Beijing Decides ‘Enough Is Enough’ in Myanmar

by The Irrawaddy
November 21, 2024
5k

China’s establishment of a joint venture security company with the junta to safeguard BRI projects in Myanmar shows it no...

Read moreDetails
Sleepless in Naypyitaw: Myanmar Junta Leader Lives in Fear of Assassination
Burma

Sleepless in Naypyitaw: Myanmar Junta Leader Lives in Fear of Assassination

by The Irrawaddy
April 30, 2024
4.7k

Mystery surrounds the daily movements of Min Aung Hlaing—and the temporary disappearance of his No. 2—but it is safe to...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Junta Puts Leaders of Old Regime Under Surveillance
Burma

Myanmar Junta Puts Leaders of Old Regime Under Surveillance

by The Irrawaddy
July 25, 2024
3.9k

Ex-dictator Than Shwe and former President Thein Sein are among those being monitored by current junta boss Min Aung Hlaing’s...

Read moreDetails
Eight Takeaways From Myanmar Junta Chief’s Meeting With Putin
Burma

Eight Takeaways From Myanmar Junta Chief’s Meeting With Putin

by The Irrawaddy
March 5, 2025
3.7k

The two sides reached deals to cooperate on nuclear and space technology, among many others, and the junta boss backed...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Rohingya refugees stand in line to collect aid supplies in Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, January 21, 2018. / Reuters

Myanmar Says Willing to Take Back All Rohingya Refugees

Two Mandalay girls react after checking their results on Saturday when nationwide matriculation exam results were released. / Zaw Zaw

50 Percent of Inmates Who Sat for Matriculation Exam Passed

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

‘Reforms Are Not Optional’: Prominent Activist Urges NUG to Act Before It’s Too Late

‘Reforms Are Not Optional’: Prominent Activist Urges NUG to Act Before It’s Too Late

2 days ago
860
Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

2 days ago
853

Most Read

  • Chinese Investment Reshapes Myanmar’s N. Shan as MNDAA Consolidates Power

    Chinese Investment Reshapes Myanmar’s N. Shan as MNDAA Consolidates Power

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Deploying Conscripts in Major Push to Reclaim Lost Territory

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Chin Resistance Tensions Boil Over as CNA Seizes Rival’s Myanmar HQ

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Two Prominent Myanmar Ex-Political Prisoners Die Hours Apart in Yangon

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Junta Bombing of Resistance-Held Areas in Mandalay, Karenni Kills Seven Civilians

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.