Taleban Damage Mobile Phone Mast in Afghan South

Text of report by private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency

Ghazni, 8 June: The Taleban have damaged a telecommunication company’s mast in Zabol [Province in southern Afghanistan].

Spokesman for the Taleban Qari Mohammad Yusof Ahmadi told Afghan Islamic Press [AIP] in a telephone conversation from an undisclosed location that they had shot and damaged a mast belonging to the Afghan Wireless Communication Company [AWCC] in the Tajerabad area of Shah Joy District in Zabol Province early this morning.

When the spokesman for the governor, Golab Shah Alikhel, was asked about it, he told AIP that they could not contact an AWWC mobile phone number in Shah Joy District. However, he did not give more details regarding the incident.

A local resident also confirmed to AIP that armed men had damaged a telecommunication company’s mast in the Tajerabad area and the AWCC does not work now there.

The Taleban warned telecommunication companies some time ago to stop their operation for a certain period of time at night, otherwise, they would attack their masts. Afterwards, the Taleban carried out attacks on a number of masts in Helmand, Kandahar, Ghazni, Zabol and some other places.

Originally published by Afghan Islamic Press news agency, Peshawar, in Pashto 0647 8 Jun 08.

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