Taliban ban excavation of cultural sites in Nangarhar

Taliban authorities in Afghanistan's Nangarhar on Monday banned the excavation and digging of historical and cultural sites in the province.In a statement, the provincial government has said it has banned arbitrarily digging in cultural heritage sites in order to protect and preserve them, Xinhua reported.

"In efforts to protect and preserve historical and cultural heritage sites, arbitrarily digging is banned in those sites all over Nangarhar province," Maulvi Amanullah, director of Eastern Region Historical Monument Directorate, was quoted in the release as saying.

In August, soon after their forceful takeover of Kabul, the Taliban blew up slain Hazara leader Abdul Ali Mazari's statue in Bamiyan, a grim reminder of the destruction of Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001.

The UN cultural agency had called for the preservation of Afghanistan's cultural heritage in its diversity and in full respect of international law.

"Afghanistan is home to a wide range of rich and diverse heritage, which is an integral part of Afghan history and identity, as well as of importance for humanity as a whole, that must be safeguarded," the UNESCO statement said.

( With inputs from ANI )