Puli Khumri
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
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Puli Khumrī ({{langx|fa|پل خمری}}), also spelled Pul-i-Khumri or Pol-e Khomri, is a city in northern Afghanistan. Puli Khumri is the capital and largest city of Baghlan Province, whose name comes from the other major town in the province, Baghlan.{{cite book|last=Dupree|first=Nancy Hatch|title=An Historical Guide to Afghanistan|publisher=Afghan Tourist Organization|year=1977|edition=2nd Edition, Revised and Enlarged|orig-year=1st Edition: 1970}} Puli Khumri has an estimated population of about 221,274 as of 2015, making it about the 9th-largest city of Afghanistan, and the second-largest city in northeastern Afghanistan after Kunduz.{{Cite web|date=2015|title=State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-I English)|url=https://unhabitat.org/soac2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026042513/https://unhabitat.org/soac2015|archive-date=2021-10-26|access-date=2015-10-21|website=UN-Habitat|language=en}} It is a major industrial city.{{Cite news|date=16 Dec 2001|title=Northern revolt quelled|language=en|work=gulfnews.com|agency=Reuters|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/northern-revolt-quelled-1.432642|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026025214/https://gulfnews.com/uae/northern-revolt-quelled-1.432642|archive-date=2021-10-26}}
History
During the 1980s, Puli Khumri was officially granted the status of the capital of Baghlan province in place of the central city of Baghlan. This transition occurred under the influence of Sayed Mansur Naderi, son of Sayed Kayan, who held significant military and political power at the time.Author: Hakimi, Aziz Ahmed. Title: Fighting for Patronage: American counterinsurgency and the Afghan Local Police. Publisher: University of London. Date: 23.07.2015. Access date: 04.04.2024. The relocation aimed to enhance public access to administrative offices, leveraging Puli Khumri's strategic location along the Kabul-Mazar highway. The cabinet of Dr. Najibullah, led by Sultan Ali Keshtmand, initially proposed this move through declaration number 492 on March 1, 1989. It was subsequently formalized by Dr. Najibullah through decree number 1603 on March 9, 1989.Official Gadget of Ministry of Justice of Afghanistan Republic Government. (1989, July 6). Decree number 1603 of March 9, 1989 by Afghanistan President about transfer of Baghlan capital to Puli Khumri city and omission of Puli Khumri as a district in the administrative structure of the province. Retrieved April 5, 2024, from https://law.acku.edu.af/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/acku_risalah_knf2720_meem69_1368_n695_dari_title1.pdf
As of 2017, Taliban insurgents are active in the Dand-e-Shahabuddin part of Puli Khumri.{{Cite web|last=Amiry|first=Sharif|date=2017-08-03|title=Pul-e-Khumri Residents Speak Out About Ongoing Battles|url=https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/pul-e-khumri-residents-speak-out-about-ongoing-battles|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026022903/https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/pul-e-khumri-residents-speak-out-about-ongoing-battles|archive-date=2021-10-26|access-date=2020-06-07|website=TOLOnews}} On 5 May 2019, Taliban members stormed the city's police headquarters, killing 13 police.{{Cite news|date=2019-05-05|title=Afghan officials: Taliban launch complex attack on police|work=Taiwan News|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3694965|url-status=live|access-date=2020-06-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026021244/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3694965|archive-date=2021-10-26}} On 1 September 2019, Taliban assaulted the city,{{Cite web|date=2 Sep 2019|title=Several civilians dead as Taliban attacks northern city|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/9/2/taliban-attacks-second-afghan-city-as-talks-with-us-wrap-up|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026022505/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/9/2/taliban-attacks-second-afghan-city-as-talks-with-us-wrap-up|archive-date=2021-10-26|access-date=2020-06-07|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en}} but were repelled by the Afghan Army. On 16 January 2021, the district's NDS chief Fazal Wakilzada was killed in a Taliban attack.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-16|title=NDS district chief Fazal Wakilzada and his bodyguard were killed in today's IED blast in Pul-e-Khumri, Baghlan|url=https://afghanistan.liveuamap.com/en/2021/16-january-nds-district-chief-fazal-wakilzada-and-his-bodyguard|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026023500/https://afghanistan.liveuamap.com/en/2021/16-january-nds-district-chief-fazal-wakilzada-and-his-bodyguard|archive-date=2021-10-26|access-date=2021-01-17|website=afghanistan.liveuamap.com|language=en}}
On 10 August 2021, Puli Khumri became the eighth provincial capital to be captured by the Taliban as part of their nationwide military offensive.{{cite web|last1=Makoii|first1=Akhtar Mohammad|last2=Beaumont|first2=Peter|date=10 August 2021|title=Taliban fighters capture Afghan city at strategic junction north of Kabul|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/10/taliban-fighters-capture-afghan-city-at-strategic-junction-north-of-kabul|access-date=2021-08-10|website=The Guardian}}{{cite web|date=10 August 2021|title=Taliban seizes eighth provincial capital, Pul-e-Khumri in Baghlan|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN-Vy4wIqlQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/WN-Vy4wIqlQ |archive-date=2021-12-22|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-10|website=YouTube|publisher=Al Jazeera English|format=AV Media}}{{cbignore}}
On 13 October 2023, 7 people were killed and 15 injured in a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque carried out by Islamic State – Khorasan Province.{{cite web |last1=Radio Azadi |first1=Radio Azadi |title=Dead, Wounded In Afghan Mosque Blast During Friday Prayers |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-mosque-bombing-friday-prayers/32636187.html |website=rfel.org |publisher=Radio Azadi |access-date=14 October 2023}}
Geography
{{Expand section|date=October 2021|with=details on physical geography}}
Puli Khumri, located about {{convert|100|km|mi|round=10}} south of Kunduz, {{convert|200|km|mi|round=10}} southeast of Mazar-i-Sharif, and {{convert|230|km|mi|round=10}} north of Kabul, is a trading and transit hub in the region.
=Land use=
As of 2015, Puli Khumri had 6 districts and a total land area of 3,752 hectares. The total number of dwellings in the city was 24,586. Agricultural lands account for the largest land use in Puli Khumri (65%), with the majority of that land in Districts 3, 5, and 6. Districts 1 and 2 have the highest dwelling densities but District 5 is home to the most dwelling units. Puli Khumri has a diverse housing stock consisting of regular, irregular, and hillside houses as well as apartment buildings.{{Cite web|date=2015|title=State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-II)|url=https://unhabitat.org/soac2015_volume2|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026042608/https://unhabitat.org/soac2015_volume2|archive-date=2021-10-26|access-date=2015-10-21|website=UN-Habitat|language=en, prs}}
{{PKRConvert|34.7|t|lk=r}}
=Climate=
With an influence from the local steppe climate, Puli Khumri features a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Puli Khumri is 15.9 °C, while the annual precipitation averages 282 mm.
July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 28.5 °C. The coldest month January has an average temperature of 3.0 °C.
{{Weather box
|width = auto
| location = Puli Khumri
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
| Jan high C = 8.3
| Feb high C = 10.9
| Mar high C = 16.2
| Apr high C = 21.8
| May high C = 28.7
| Jun high C = 35.3
| Jul high C = 37.1
| Aug high C = 35.9
| Sep high C = 31.6
| Oct high C = 24.8
| Nov high C = 15.7
| Dec high C = 9.6
| Jan mean C = 3.0
| Feb mean C = 5.7
| Mar mean C = 10.7
| Apr mean C = 16.0
| May mean C = 21.3
| Jun mean C = 26.5
| Jul mean C = 28.5
| Aug mean C = 27.0
| Sep mean C = 22.5
| Oct mean C = 16.5
| Nov mean C = 9.1
| Dec mean C = 4.2
| year mean C =
| Jan low C = -2.2
| Feb low C = 0.6
| Mar low C = 5.3
| Apr low C = 10.2
| May low C = 14.0
| Jun low C = 17.8
| Jul low C = 19.9
| Aug low C = 18.1
| Sep low C = 13.4
| Oct low C = 8.2
| Nov low C = 2.5
| Dec low C = -1.1
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 31
|Feb precipitation mm = 43
|Mar precipitation mm = 63
|Apr precipitation mm = 65
|May precipitation mm = 27
|Jun precipitation mm = 0
|Jul precipitation mm = 0
|Aug precipitation mm = 0
|Sep precipitation mm = 0
|Oct precipitation mm = 8
|Nov precipitation mm = 20
|Dec precipitation mm = 25
}}
Demographics
{{Historical populations
| title= Population census
| percentages= pagr
| 2002 (est.) |60,000{{Citation needed|reason=Population figure taken from 4 Apr 2006 revision|date=October 2021}}
| 2006 (est.) |180,800{{Citation needed|reason=Population figure taken from 9 Mar 2007 revision|date=October 2021}}
| 2007 (est.) |58,300{{Citation needed|reason=Population figure taken from 11 Nov 2013 revision|date=October 2021}}
}}
{{Expand section|date=October 2021|with=data on population distribution, sex, age, ethnicities, languages, etc.}}
Economy
There are two dams in Puli Khumri, which provide the necessary electricity.
Afghanistan's first cement factory, Ghori I Cement Factory, was built in 1954 in Puli Khumri with financial support from Czechoslovakia. It is currently owned and operated by Afghan Invest Co., and operated by Ahmad Javid Jaihoon.{{Cite web|title=Afghan Cement and Afghan Coal LLC - About|url=http://www.afghancement.af/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427015022/http://www.afghancement.af/|archive-date=2018-04-27|access-date=2018-09-03}} The limestone is mined from the hill behind the factory.{{cite news|first=Honvedseg|last=Magyar|title=Baghlan taromány CIMIC kézikönyve|url=http://www.kormany.hu/download/7/b5/10000/baghlan.pdf|publisher=Magyar Honvédség ÖHP|year=2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213040526/http://www.kormany.hu/download/7/b5/10000/baghlan.pdf|archive-date=2013-12-13}}
There is a coal mine outside of the city in the village Kar-kar, but the production system is archaic.
Agriculture is very important because of the rain and temperature; wheat, spices, and rice are the main crops.
Provincial Reconstruction Team
The lead nation of the local Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was Hungary, which operated in the city from 2006 to March 2013{{Citation needed|reason=March 2013 enddate is unsourced|date=October 2021}}. Previous to 2006, the lead nation was the Netherlands.{{cite news|last=McMahon|first=Robert|date=20 October 2005|title=Afghanistan: PRTs Spreading, Though Impact Remains Unclear|publisher=Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty|url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/10/448f8c8d-7bfb-4d84-b965-3fee0fae3c4f.html|url-status=live|access-date=2007-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026030410/https://www.rferl.org/a/1062276.html|archive-date=2021-10-26}}
Electrical transmission lines built from Puli Khumri are now{{When|date=October 2021}} bringing a steady supply of electricity to Kabul.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{AfghanistanLargestCities}}
{{Baghlan Province}}
Category:Populated places in Baghlan Province
Category:Provincial capitals in Afghanistan
Category:Cities in Afghanistan
Category:Populated places with period of establishment missing