Gold Rush In Afghanistan's Hindu Kush

Afghan miner Morad Ali walks on a mountainside near the village of Qara Zaghan in Baghlan Province.

An Afghan policeman keeps watch over miners at work.

Miners use modern equipment as part of the rapidly developing mining operations. International companies such as J.P. Morgan Capital Markets are investing in mineral extraction in the region.

Rock samples from a gold mine are crushed and prepared for testing to determine their gold content.

An Afghan policeman stands guard over mining operations.

Miner Morad Ali stands in a crevasse dug out of the side of a mountain.

Security guard Abdul Samad on duty

Rock samples that have been collected for testing