Kabul electricity soon to be fully restored, Afghan officials sayFebruary 20, 2016 - 15:45 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Afghanistan's capital will soon have electricity fully restored, weeks after insurgents destroyed cables from Uzbekistan providing power to the capital, officials said on Saturday, February 20, according to the Associated Press. The military had cleared Taliban-linked fighters from the area of northern Baghlan province where the cables were destroyed by Taliban-linked fighters, said Wahidullah Tawhidi, spokesman for the Afghanistan electricity directorate. Engineers had reconnected some cables and the work should be completed within five days, he said. Kabul, a city of almost 5 million, has been without secure power since late January, when militants sabotaged the cables during a military operation to clear them from the region. As a result, residents have shivered through the last stages of a mild winter, many relying on wood-burning stoves or buying generators run on diesel. The city relies on power transmitted via cables that stretch hundreds of kilometers (miles) across the country, AP says. The destruction of the cables during battles between government forces and the militants exposed the vulnerability of the capital to the war largely being fought elsewhere, as well as the country's reliance on power from outside its own borders. Afghanistan also buys electricity from Tajikistan. The governor of Baghlan, Abul Satar Barez, said the military had cleared insurgents from the Dand-e-Shahabuddin district, where the cables were cut by anti-government fighters. "We hope that power will soon be reconnected to Kabul," he said. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |