Taliban have cut fiber-optic and Wi-Fi internet services in four additional provinces — Kunduz, Takhar, Badakhshan and Baghlan — bringing the total to at least 10 provinces now under blackout, local sources told Amu TV on Wednesday.
In Kunduz, Taliban forces reportedly entered offices of internet service providers and confiscated equipment, sources said. The Taliban governor’s office confirmed the suspension, saying it was carried out on orders from Hibatullah Akhundzada to prevent “immoral activities.”
With the latest move, residents in at least 10 provinces — Balkh, Kandahar, Helmand, Herat, Uruzgan, Nimroz, Kunduz, Takhar, Badakhshan and Baghlan — no longer have access to Afghan Telecom’s fiber-optic network. Afghan Telecom is the state-owned operator and the country’s primary provider of fixed-line internet.
The restrictions have already disrupted daily life. In Balkh, sources said the blackout crippled banking systems and other services reliant on internet connectivity. After complaints, Taliban governor Yousuf Wafa ordered exceptions for banks, the electronic ID office and several critical departments in Mazar-e-Sharif. Internet was restored to those institutions on Tuesday morning, allowing banking services to resume.
In Herat, local officials said a fiber-optic expansion project in the 64-Meter Road and Bekrabad areas of the city has been suspended for two weeks due to the order.
Residents and civil society activists warned that the bans could have severe impacts on communication, public services and economic activity.
Taliban have not said whether the restrictions will extend to all provinces or how long they will remain in place.
