Internet services provided by Afghan Telecom, the state-owned operator, were cut in Kandahar province on Tuesday afternoon, local sources told Amu TV.
The disruption comes days after Afghan Telecom’s fiber-optic services were shut down in Balkh province in northern Afghanistan.
Taliban officials there confirmed the blackout, saying it was ordered by the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, to prevent “immoral activities.”
The Balkh shutdown has already created major problems for public government offices, including passport and customs departments, slowing or halting basic services.
Media advocates and residents criticized the order as a further step toward restricting Afghans’ access to information and isolating the country from the outside world.
Taliban authorities have not yet commented on whether the ban in Kandahar is permanent or if similar restrictions will be extended nationwide.
