KABUL: Baghlan provincial police said on Saturday that Taliban insurgentsdestroyed an electricity pylon in Baghlan province. According to theofficials, the destruction of the pylon, which transmits electricity fromTajikistan and Uzbekistan, has left much of Kabul without power.
Late Friday night Taliban insurgents detonated explosives close to thepylon in Doshe district of Baghlan, police said. With the destruction ofthis pylon, electricity has now been cut off in a number of provinces,including the capital Kabul.
Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) officials confirmed to TOLOnews thata pylon, which transmits electricity from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan hasbeen destroyed in Baghlan province and for now Kabul is without importedelectricity. Officials said they are trying to fix the problem but theirengineers have not yet reached the area.
The Taliban said in a statement that they destroyed the pylon in responseto government having cut electricity to some of the areas under theircontrol. This is the second time in a month that insurgents have damagedpylons in Baghlan province. Last month Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat(DABS) officials in Baghlan province said that unknown men destroyed a keypower pylon in Kelagai in the province.
This pylon was blown up following the destruction of two other pylons aweek earlier by the Taliban in Kunduz. This pylon also cut off electricityfrom Tajikistan to Kabul. Insurgents said in a statement that they will cutoff all electricity to Kabul unless government distributes electricity toareas in their control.