KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Internet and telecommunication services have partially resumed in Kabul and several provinces after a two-day nationwide blackout, local sources have confirmed.
All mobile operators have restored services in Kabul, sources said. In other provinces, only partial restoration has been reported, with one or two telecom companies operating, but connections remain unstable and unreliable.
There is no confirmed information on the restoration of fiber optic services, which have been gradually cut in several provinces since mid-September under orders from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, who described the internet as the “root of all evils and immorality.”
The blackout, which began on Monday evening, suspended both mobile and fiber-optic services across Afghanistan, disrupting government offices, banking, commerce, hospitals, flights, online education, media, and humanitarian operations. Many Afghans were cut off from communication with relatives abroad, while businesses and essential services struggled to operate.
The Taliban have not issued an official statement on the outage or its restoration. The Associated Press, however, reported that spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid attributed the disruptions to “decaying fiber optic infrastructure” that is being replaced.
The United Nations, international rights groups, and activists have condemned the blackout, warning that such measures threaten rights, livelihoods, access to information, and vital services, putting lives at risk.
