Shadi Khan Saif
26 June 2021•Update: 27 June 2021
KABUL, Afghanistan
The bustling Afghan capital Kabul remained out of electricity for the fifth consecutive day on Saturday as deadly clashes between the Taliban and security forces damaged power transmission lines bringing electricity from Central Asian states.
Mohammad Hashim, a spokesman for the power utility Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), told Anadolu Agency two power transmission towers were blown up by miscreants last week, but later the company repaired them. “However, we have been unable to connect power transmission cables and resume power supply due to fighting in Khenjan District of Baghlan province," he said.
Earlier this month, the entire Kabul and much of its surrounding areas remained in blackout for hours, the fourth time in a month, as unknown miscreants continued to target power transmission towers bringing electricity from Tajikistan.
Hashim said DABS was losing at least $34,000 per hour because of the disconnected imported electricity due to the destruction of the electricity pylon in the northern areas of Kabul.
Hashim said the DABS is losing at least $34,000 per hour of the disconnection of imported electricity and damage to an electricity pylon in Kabul's northern areas.
In a month's time, nearly a dozen transmission towers have been destroyed in northern parts of Kabul. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks as the Taliban have rejected their involvement.
248 Taliban killed in ensuing turf fighting
Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry said on Saturday that the Taliban have been driven out of six more districts that they briefly controlled last week.
According to the ministry, 248 Taliban were killed, 137 were wounded, and 12 were captured in the last 24 hours during operations by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in the provinces of Ghazni, Logar, Kandahar, Faryab, Balkh, Helmand, Kunduz, Baghlan, Badakhshan, and Kabul. The Afghan National Army also spotted and defused 42 improvised explosive devices, it said on social media.
This comes as the Taliban continue to stage deadly attacks on the security forces in various provinces.
The latest observation by the Long War Journal suggested that out of 398 districts in Afghanistan, the Taliban now control 107 while the government controls 92 and some 199 remain contested between the two. According to the population, an overwhelming majority of Afghans, nearly 12 million live in government control areas, around 6 million in areas under the Taliban control while some 15 million in contested areas.
Since the announcement of an exit date of this September for American troops by US President Joe Biden, Afghanistan has been witnessing a spike in deadly Taliban assaults across the country that has led to mounting casualties on all sides.
