To stem Taliban advance, Afghan govt imposes night curfew: official
"To curb violence and limit Taliban movements a night curfew has been imposed in 31 provinces," says interior ministry
- Afghan authorities impose night-time curfew across 31 provinces.
- Curfew will be effective between 10pm and 4am local time.
- Taliban have launched a widespread offensive across the country.
Afghan authorities on Saturday imposed a night-time curfew across 31 of the country's 34 provinces to curb surging violence unleashed by a sweeping Taliban offensive in recent months, the interior ministry said.
"To curb violence and limit the Taliban movements a night curfew has been imposed in 31 provinces across the country," except in Kabul, Panjshir and Nangarhar, the interior ministry said in a statement.
The curfew will be effective between 10pm and 4am local time, Ahmad Zia Zia, deputy interior ministry spokesman said in a separate audio statement to reporters.
Since early May, the Taliban have launched a widespread offensive across the country that has seen the group capture border crossings, dozens of districts and encircle several provincial capitals.
With the withdrawal of American-led foreign forces all but complete, the resurgent group now controls about half of Afghanistan's roughly 400 districts.