Fiber optic internet service was cut off in western Herat province on Thursday, residents told Amu TV, bringing the total number of provinces affected to 15 in just four days.
Service has already been disconnected in Balkh, Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Nimroz, Kunduz, Takhar, Badakhshan, Baghlan, Paktika, Laghman and Nangarhar.
Two sources, including one close to the Taliban in Kandahar, earlier confirmed that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered the nationwide shutdown of fiber optic internet during a meeting with senior cabinet members. The decision came after several Taliban ministers traveled to Kandahar to persuade him to reconsider the plan, according to the sources.
The meeting decided that mobile network internet would not be cut and that alternative connections would be provided to banks and government offices, the sources added.
The Taliban have not officially commented on the nationwide shutdown, though officials in Balkh and Kunduz provinces earlier said the decision was made to prevent “immoral activities.”
The restriction has drawn widespread criticism. Media activists said it represents a new attempt to suppress freedom of expression and strip Afghans of basic rights.
“This is a cruel move against the will of the Afghan people. It takes away every opportunity,” a Balkh resident said.
A resident of Takhar said the ban deprives women and girls of online education and harms banking and financial services.
“They are trying to hide their behavior and crimes from the eyes of the people and the media,” another resident from Badakhshan said.
Fiber optic internet in Afghanistan is provided by state-owned Afghan Telecom and is widely used by government agencies, businesses, schools, universities and aid organizations because of its lower cost and faster speed compared with mobile networks.
Residents say the Taliban’s decision has left them in a dire situation and called for the order to be reversed.
