Taliban have restricted internet access in at least six provinces within 24 hours, cutting fiber-optic services provided by the state-owned Afghan Telecom, local sources told Amu TV.
Residents said people in Balkh, Kandahar, Helmand, Herat, Uruzgan and Nimroz have lost access to fiber-optic internet.
In Herat, sources from the provincial telecommunications department and Afghan Telecom said work on expanding the fiber network in some areas of the city stopped about two weeks ago. For now, fiber-optic services remain active in government offices and homes, but Taliban officials have warned they may shut down connections in the coming days.
The restrictions have raised concerns among residents, who say the blackout is already disrupting communications, government services and online activities in the affected provinces.
The cutoffs in Kandahar and Balkh were confirmed earlier by local sources, and the Taliban governor’s spokesman in Balkh acknowledged that the ban was ordered directly by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. He said the measure was taken “to prevent immoral activities” and that an alternative domestic network would be created for official needs.
While Taliban officials insist only Afghan Telecom’s fiber-optic services are being restricted, some residents in Balkh said all Afghan Telecom connections were shut down.
The shutdowns highlight growing fears that the Taliban are seeking greater control over digital communications, further limiting Afghans’ access to the outside world.
