Taliban declares war on smartphones
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The timing of the order followed protests in Herat in early June, after Taliban forces arrested women and girls accused of "improper hijab" — not meeting the dress code of covering the face and body in the prescribed manner and not wearing makeup. Witnesses said Taliban forces opened fire on demonstrators, killing at least one person. Video of the shooting spread online before the Taliban could contain it.

The Taliban administration did not respond to a request for comment.

The restrictions have reached deeply into education, where phones are not only tools for communication but also part of how students study, save lessons, contact teachers and stay connected to their families.

In Kandahar province, an 18-year-old madrassa student named Baryalai, who also requested anonymity because he fears retaliation from the Taliban, said the change at his school was total. "Now there's a complete ban," he said. "No one brings smartphones anymore."

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