Internet and Phone Services Cut

Mullah Hibatullah ordered a nationwide shutdown of fiber-optic internet services, cutting connectivity in Kabul and across Afghanistan effective 5 p.m. Monday, September 29. The blackout, confirmed by multiple sources and internet providers, has left the country offline. While limited mobile data reportedly remains, residents say mobile networks are also failing, though it is unclear if these outages are deliberate. We have been unable to reach contacts in Kabul, Herat, Mazar, and Uruzgan, and are attempting to contact sources in other provinces, raising concerns that Afghanistan’s communication links with the outside world have been severed.