Taliban Seizes Mobile Phones in Wake of Mazar-i-Sharif Blast
Following a blast in Mazar-i-Sharif's District 4, eyewitnesses reported that the Taliban confiscated mobile phones of individuals, using the device to capture the scene.
An eyewitness recounted how some people were assaulted and apprehended by the Taliban, who also seized their phones.
Another eyewitness expressed their inability to photograph or record the aftermath of the blast due to the Taliban's threats, stating, "I couldn’t take pictures or videos because of the threats from the Taliban."
The explosion occurred on Thursday afternoon in the Darwaze Balkh area of the city's District 4. As of now, details about the explosion's cause and possible casualties remain unknown.
This blast in Mazar-i-Sharif is one of three explosions reported in Afghan cities on the same day, with earlier incidents in Kabul's Khairkhana and Dasht-e Barchi areas.
Since their ascent to power in 2021, the Taliban have enforced stringent restrictions on public and media access to information. Officials from hospitals and health centres are refraining from releasing casualty data following such incidents, citing Taliban threats for withholding information.
