GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Taliban turn cell phones back on in Afghan south

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Federal News Radio

05April2011 12:28pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The Taliban have allowed the restoration of cellular phone services to parts of southwestern Afghanistan, two weeks after they ordered a shutdown to prevent people from giving away their movements to NATO forces, a government official and the insurgents said Tuesday.

The ban affected more than 800,000 cellular phone users in southwest Helmand province and another 100,000 in surrounding areas. Helmand remains a Taliban stronghold despite months of fighting between U.S.-led coalition forces and insurgents. The Taliban ordered the networks to close down about two weeks ago and blew up eight cell phone towers to enforce the ban.

The shutdown, which was honored by all four of Afghanistan's private cellular networks, shows the influence the Taliban wield in many parts of the country, despite a ramped up campaign against them by coalition forces _ who say the have stopped the insurgents in parts of the south. (read full report)

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