It is situated at an altitude of 726 m. The New York Times quoted a local businessman that the district was almost fully empty with nothing but the desert landscape prior to the rise of opium production.

Governor Abdul Ghafoor Mujahid claimed 45 civilians were killed in the strikes, which Defense spokesman Qais Mangal denied.

[3] During the war in Afghanistan, the district, including the town of Shagai was a major hub of production and trade for opium, heroin and methamphetamines.

Months after the withdrawal of US troops and the takeover by the Taliban, Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, declared that all opium production is prohibited nationwide, Taliban fighters then begin to destroy the remaining labs within the district by setting them on fire, causing farmers to move out of the district or switch to wheat farming.

The Taliban appointed governor of the district Haji Maulavi Asif called it "an exam", comparing it to a social experiment.