{{Short description |Location in Helmand Province, Afghanistan}}
{{Infobox settlement <!--See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields that may be available--> <!--See the Table at Infobox settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage--> <!-- Basic info ---------------->| name = Bahramcha <!-- at least one of the first two fields must be filled in --> | official_name = | native_name = بھرامچه <!-- if different from the English name -->| other_name = | settlement_type = Town <!--such as Town, Village, City, Borough etc.--> <!-- images and maps ----------->| image_skyline = USMC-110317-M-2740R-036.jpg | image_caption = Bahramcha in 2011 with heavy destruction from US bombardment visible | image_flag = | image = | image_seal = | nickname = | motto = | pushpin_map = Afghanistan <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map --> | pushpin_label_position = top | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Afghanistan <!-- Location ------------------>| subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|Afghanistan}} | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Helmand | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Dishu | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | established_title = <!-- Settled --> | established_date = | founder = | named_for = <!-- Politics -----------------> | government_footnotes = | leader_title = | leader_name = <!--add (no-break space) to leader names to disable automatic links--> | total_type = <!-- to set a non-standard label for total area and population rows --> | area_footnotes = <!-- Area ---------------------> | area_magnitude = <!-- use only to set a special wikilink --> | area_total_km2 = <!-- ALL fields with measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion--> | area_land_km2 = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox settlement for details on unit conversion--> | area_water_km2 = <!-- Elevation --------------------------> | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | elevation_ft = 5072 | elevation_max_m = | elevation_max_ft = | elevation_min_m = | elevation_min_ft = <!-- Population -----------------------> | population_footnotes = <ref name="population" /> | population_total = 19032 | population_as_of = | population_density_km2 = auto | population_note = <!-- General information ---------------> | timezone = Afghanistan Time | utc_offset = +04:30 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | coordinates = {{coord|29|25|N|64|3|E|region:AF|display=inline,title}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tageo.com/index-e-af-v-10-d-m4786912.htm |title=BAHRAM CHAH Geography Population Map cities coordinates location |publisher=Tageo.com |date= |access-date=2022-08-08}}</ref> <!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->| postal_code_type = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... --> | postal_code = | area_code = | website = }}
'''Bahramcha''' ({{langx|ps|بھرامچه}}; {{langx|prs|بھرام چاه}}) is the capital of Dishu District in Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://tolonews.com/node/12919 |title=Pakistan Builds Posts Inside Afghanistan Territory |work=TOLOnews |date=22 February 2016 |access-date=2025-04-12}}</ref> It has an estimated population of about 19,032 people.<ref name="population">{{cite web |url=https://nsia.gov.af:8443/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/براورد-نفوس-کشور-سال-1404.pdf#page=126 |title=Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2025-26 |page=103 |work=National Statistics and Information Authority |date=September 2025 |access-date=2025-12-25}}</ref> There is an official border post near the Durand Line (Afghanistan-Pakistan border), which is one of the routes used by the Afghans in Pakistan to enter Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-190855 |title=Over 86,000 Afghans from Iran, Pakistan Return to Country |work=TOLOnews |date=23 September 2025 |access-date=2025-12-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://pajhwok.com/2025/12/25/over-3500-afghans-refugees-repatriated-from-iran-pakistan/ |title=Over 3,500 Afghan refugees repatriated from Iran, Pakistan |work=Pajhwok Afghan News |date=25 December 2025 |access-date=2025-12-25}}</ref>
== Destruction caused by fighting == During the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), the town was repeatedly attacked by US as well as allied forces.
Early in 2009, fights between government and taliban forces with support from British and Estonian troops occurred in the area, with US bombers dropping 500lb bombs on structures used by the Taliban forces.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-02-02 |title=Under fire in the Afghan badlands |url=https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/asia/under-fire-in-the-afghan-badlands-1522967.html |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>
During the night leading to December 1st, 2017, residential areas were bombarded. According to media reports based on government information, dozens of civilians were killed and considerable destruction was caused to structures in the area.<ref>{{Cite web |last=الله |first=عبد |date=2017-11-23 |title=په بهرامچه کې تر بمبار وروسته / انځورونه او ویډیو - نن ټکی اسیا |url=https://www.nunn.asia/108633/%d9%be%d9%87-%d8%a8%d9%87%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%85%da%86%d9%87-%da%a9%db%90-%d8%aa%d8%b1-%d8%a8%d9%85%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d9%88%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b3%d8%aa%d9%87-%d8%a7%d9%86%da%81%d9%88%d8%b1%d9%88%d9%86%d9%87/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |language=ps}}</ref>
==Smuggling route== During the Afghanistan war, Bahramcha was sometimes used by suspected Taliban members to export poppy to Pakistan for processing, becoming an important center of the Helmand opium trade.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-drugs-airstrike/28870426.html |title=Airstrikes Destroy Insurgent Drug Labs in Afghanistan |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=November 22, 2017 |access-date=2025-04-12}}</ref> It is claimed that the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance killed over 100 Taliban fighters during a raid in 2011, which badly crippled that trade.<ref>{{cite book|first=Carter|last=Malkasian|authorlink=Carter Malkasian|title=War Comes to Garmser: Thirty Years of Conflict on the Afghan Frontier|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hjql_E8JBQ0C|year=2013|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-997375-0|page=63}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{YouTube|2X01BagZ8| مستند: د پاکستان تېري ته د افغانستان ځواب دویمه برخه }} *{{Cite news |url=https://www.ariananews.af/helmand-officials-say-rescued-seven-passengers-facing-death-in-desert/ |title=Helmand officials say rescued seven passengers facing death in desert |work=Ariana News |date=August 9, 2023}}
{{Helmand Province}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Populated places in Helmand Province
{{Helmand-geo-stub}}