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The Taliban shut down internet and telecom services across Afghanistan on Monday, plunging the country into near-total digital darkness and drawing a UN warning of “significant harm” to citizens.
The blackout is said to have come after Afghanistan’s 9,350-kilometer fiber optic network was disabled, leaving flights grounded, banks frozen, and millions of citizens and businesses cut off.
Kabul International Airport has seen all commercial flights canceled or marked as “unknown,” leaving the country’s main air hub virtually deserted, per Reuters.
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The Taliban has not issued a clear explanation for the blackout, saying only that the suspension would last “until further notice.” (WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images)
Monitoring group NetBlocks also confirmed to Reuters that traffic levels had dropped to around one percent of normal, underscoring the unprecedented scale of the disruption.
According to Reuters, the Taliban ordered internet and mobile data services to be cut across the country, with diplomatic and industry sources confirming cellphone connectivity had collapsed.
NetBlocks also confirmed connectivity was cut in phases starting on Monday, with the final stage also affecting telephone services, which share infrastructure with the internet.
The nationwide blackout appears to be part of a phased campaign led by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in Kabul. Earlier in September, he directed the dismantling of fiber optic networks in many provinces.
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Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had ordered the dismantling of networks, according to Reuters. (Afghan Islamic Press via AP, File)
Officials have defended the move as a way to curb “immorality” online, echoing earlier statements from provincial governors.
Reuters reported that Afghan telecom companies said they were “managing this sensitive and complex situation” under Taliban directives, while hoping to restore services soon.
Private broadcaster Tolo News, also cited by Reuters, reported that authorities had set a one-week deadline to shut down 3G and 4G internet services for cellphones, leaving only 2G active.
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The United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has urged the Taliban to immediately restore full access to the country and Kabul (seen above) (REUTERS/Ali Khara.)
In a statement, the United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) urged the Taliban to immediately restore access and warned that the blackout “has left Afghanistan almost completely cut off from the outside world, and risks inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people.”
Reuters also quoted UN officials as saying the blackout has crippled humanitarian operations.
Arafat Jamal, the UN refugee agency’s country representative, told reporters how it could no longer reach frontline aid workers, including those responding to a deadly earthquake in the east.
“It is another crisis on top of the existing crisis,” he said via satellite link from Kabul.
The Taliban administration could not be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.