Taliban Claims Afghanistan Internet Blackout Caused By Infrastructure Issues, Not Ban

The Taliban administration issued its first official statement Wednesday addressing the widespread communications outage in Afghanistan, denying claims of a deliberate internet ban.

According to Taliban authorities, the nationwide disruptions stem from deteriorating fiber optic infrastructure that requires replacement, rather than an intentional shutdown.

This statement comes amid significant disruptions to essential services including banking operations, commercial activities, and aviation services throughout the country.

The communication blackout follows reports from several provinces last month that internet services were suspended under a decree from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, reportedly aimed at combating what the regime considers immoral content.

"There is nothing like the rumors being spread that we have imposed a ban on the internet," Taliban officials stated in a brief three-line message shared with Pakistani journalists via WhatsApp.

On social media platform X, Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid attributed the ongoing nationwide service interruptions to "decaying fiber optic infrastructure" currently undergoing replacement.

The Taliban statement provided no timeline for when connectivity might be restored across the country.

Internet advocacy organization Netblocks first documented the outage on Monday, reporting collapsing internet connectivity throughout Afghanistan, including the capital Kabul, with telephone services also affected.

Afghan airline Kam Air informed local media outlet TOLO News that it expected to resume flights to Kabul later Wednesday, after completely suspending operations since Monday due to the communications breakdown.

Humanitarian organizations have expressed serious concerns about the impact of the blackout on relief operations. Save the Children released a statement Wednesday emphasizing, "Reliable communications are essential for our ability to operate, to deliver life-saving assistance, and to coordinate with partners."