The typical image of an Afghan warrior in traditional clothing, sandals with a turban on his head and a Kalashnikov system rifle or anti-tank grenade launcher, which has been seen since the time of the USSR-Afghan war, is no longer the only one. “Taliban“The standard of militant attire, shows photos from Kabul.
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Afghan Under tense conditions in the capital and in the shadow of the terrorist threat, US forces are rushing to conclude an evacuation operation. A suicide bomber attack killed about 170 people at the airport gate on Thursday, including 13 U.S. forces, and there are still concerns about further attacks.
In the face of these tensions, there are reports from Kabul that Taliban forces have significantly increased their presence around the airport, effectively closing the entire perimeter. According to the photos, the American Humvee cars obtained from the Afghan army are used at the checkpoints.
The Taliban, as a conservative Islamist group, have so far adhered to traditional values in their ideology, but these photos show that some militants are now keen to use the Islamist-unbelieving world military clothing that has come into the Taliban’s hands since the collapse of government forces.
In addition to the practical benefits and conveniences of professional clothing and equipment, the Taliban’s wider efforts to present itself as a pragmatic and responsible player who wants to be recognized as a legitimate government rather than as a radical outcast may play a role. The introduction of uniforms in this case could also be a sign that a professional security force is being formed from a group of fighters.
The militants armed with professional clothing, modern helmets, vests and American weapons are believed to be the group’s special unit, Badri 313, which the Taliban recently began to be proud of on social media.
Badri 313 fighters have American M4 carbines in their hands instead of traditional Kalashnikovs, sometimes with modern aiming equipment, and it has been observed that they have night vision equipment at their disposal, which increases the efficiency of fighters in operations during the dark hours of the day.
Although Taliban propaganda is trying to portray Badri as a significant force, experts surveyed by AFP agencies say the unit is nowhere near comparable to Western task forces, nor to Indian and Pakistani special forces. However, they are much more effective than the average Taliban militant or a fallen Afghan army soldier, writes France 24.
The unit’s name “Badri” is associated with the battle of Badra mentioned in the Qur’an 1,400 years ago, when the Prophet Muhammad defeated the enemy’s superiority by 313 men, writes the portal of the Indian newspaper “Times Now”.
The evacuation of foreign diplomats, citizens and Afghans from Kabul airport began on August 15, when Taliban militants entered the Afghan capital. Fearing Islamist atrocities, thousands of people went to the airport guarded by US troops, causing chaos there.
Taliban militants entered Kabul on August 15 when President Ashraf Gani fled the country. The fall of Kabul into the hands of the militants followed a series Afghan important cities to be controlled by the Taliban within a week. Fighters fast success began with the announcement by the United States of its withdrawal by the end of August. However, such a sharp fall in Kabul was not predicted by the US intelligence services.
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