Residents of western Kabul said on Tuesday that Taliban fighters disrupted the Ashura ceremony in the Mahatab Qala area.

Participants of the Ashura ceremony told Afghanistan International that Taliban members beat up and dispersed mourners and disrupted the processions.

According to videos provided to Afghanistan International, people scattered into the streets.

Telecommunication Networks Shut Down In Kabul

As Shia Ashura ceremonies take place in Afghanistan, sources in Kabul reported that the Taliban have shut down all telecommunication networks in the capital.

Sources told Afghanistan International that under the pretext of ensuring security, Taliban fighters have also blocked all roads in western Kabul. The sources stated that the telecommunication networks in Kabul were cut off on Tuesday morning.

Afghanistan International's sources indicated that the Taliban, in addition to cutting communication networks, have prohibited residents of western Kabul from moving around the Shia neighbourhoods. According to the sources, there is a significant presence of Taliban fighters in western Kabul.

Over the last few years, the Taliban had also cut off telecommunication networks in several Afghan cities on the occasion of Ashura. The Taliban have not officially commented on the shutdown of telecommunication networks and the internet in Afghanistan.