KABUL, March 15 (Xinhua) -- A total of 18 million SIM cards have been registered in Afghanistan since August 2021, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of the Afghan interim government on Saturday.

"The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has initiated the process of registering SIM cards in collaboration with communications companies, with a total of 18 million SIM cards registered to date," Enayatullah Alokozay, spokesman for the ministry, told Xinhua.

There are currently 26 million active SIM cards operating across Afghanistan, Alokozay said.

Five mobile phone companies, including four private and one government-run, provide communication services throughout the country, according to the official.