Residents and monitoring groups have reported that a nationwide shutdown of internet and mobile phone services in Afghanistan is ongoing, with the Taliban providing no immediate explanation.
The move by the Taliban authorities to cut off internet access has sparked a wave of concern among citizens, media organizations, and analysts.
Many Afghans abroad said they were unable to reach their families in Afghanistan on Monday, September 29, and Tuesday, September 30, either through internet-based communication or direct phone calls.
NetBlocks, an international organization that monitors internet connectivity, said Afghanistan’s internet access has remained at just about 1% of normal levels. Cloudflare Radar, a global internet traffic monitoring company, reported that Kabul has experienced the steepest decline in connectivity, followed by the western city of Herat and the southern city of Kandahar