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 Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. 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". Partner news | IDBank, Dalma team up for Caucasian Deer Reintroduction Program IDBank has joined Dalma Garden Mall’s Green Challenge to support the Caucasian red deer reintroduction project. Through Ucom’s support the 12th Sunchild Festival concludes On May 24-28, with the support of Ucom, the 12th international environmental festival Sunchild took place in Yerevan. U.S., Turkey emphasize importance of Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal Jake Sullivan and Akif Cagatay Kilic have discussed the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia coach expects good football in Slovenia friendly The Armenian national team has left for Ljubljana a friendly match against Slovenia on June 4. |