The four mobile operators in Afghanistan have cut their networks in the southern province of Helmand on the orders of Taliban insurgents, said one of the operators, Thursday, March 24, the Agence France-Presse. "The Taliban has again ordered all mobile operators to cut their network. That's what we did," said Mohammad Naser Nasery, a top executive of MTN, adding that the Taliban had threatened to attack its facilities if the company did not cut its network.
"We decided to obey. We can not afford the destruction of our offices and our facilities. Our network is cut off since yesterday," Wednesday, he said, adding that MTN antenna had been "damaged" Recently, after a refusal by the operator to yield to a similar injunction. The Taliban announced Monday it had ordered the cut networks in Helmand "until further notice," without specifying the reasons.
Mobile networks being cut, and fixed lines almost nonexistent in Afghanistan, the province was unreachable Thursday. Another official of a mobile phone company told the under cover of anonymity, several antennas were recently destroyed by insurgents in the provinces of Helmand, Farah (southwest) and Wardak (at southwest of Kabul).
Frequent interruptions says Nasery MTN, mobile operators routinely cut their respective networks at the behest of the Taliban for several hours in southern Afghanistan, often at night, during which many international troops conducting operations against the rebels. Helmand is a stronghold of the Taliban, ousted from power in late 2001 and lead since an insurgency against the Kabul government and the NATO force that supports it.
Lashkar Gah, the capital of the province, is one of seven areas in which responsibility for security must be passed this year by NATO forces in Afghanistan as part of the process called "transition" meant to be completed late 2014. The troops of the international force in Afghanistan have launched several offensives in recent years against insurgents in Helmand and the neighboring province of Kandahar, another Taliban stronghold. 
"We decided to obey. We can not afford the destruction of our offices and our facilities. Our network is cut off since yesterday," Wednesday, he said, adding that MTN antenna had been "damaged" Recently, after a refusal by the operator to yield to a similar injunction. The Taliban announced Monday it had ordered the cut networks in Helmand "until further notice," without specifying the reasons.
Mobile networks being cut, and fixed lines almost nonexistent in Afghanistan, the province was unreachable Thursday. Another official of a mobile phone company told the under cover of anonymity, several antennas were recently destroyed by insurgents in the provinces of Helmand, Farah (southwest) and Wardak (at southwest of Kabul).
Frequent interruptions says Nasery MTN, mobile operators routinely cut their respective networks at the behest of the Taliban for several hours in southern Afghanistan, often at night, during which many international troops conducting operations against the rebels. Helmand is a stronghold of the Taliban, ousted from power in late 2001 and lead since an insurgency against the Kabul government and the NATO force that supports it.
Lashkar Gah, the capital of the province, is one of seven areas in which responsibility for security must be passed this year by NATO forces in Afghanistan as part of the process called "transition" meant to be completed late 2014. The troops of the international force in Afghanistan have launched several offensives in recent years against insurgents in Helmand and the neighboring province of Kandahar, another Taliban stronghold.
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