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Added on the 15/08/2022 17:10:03 - Copyright : AFP EN
A crowd consisting of mostly Taliban militants attend a spontaneous rally at Kabul's Shah Massoud square as the hardline Islamists marked the first anniversary of their return to power in the country with a national holiday. Exactly a year ago, the hardline Islamists captured Kabul after their nationwide lightning offensive against government forces ended 20 years of US-led military intervention. IMAGES
Men are seen sitting on the wall of the former US embassy and locals wave flags of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan -- the name given to the country by its new rulers -- across the capital to celebrate the second anniversary of the Taliban government's takeover of the country. IMAGES
Omnipresent on the streets of Kabul, Taliban fighters are keeping a tight grip over the city, the centre of their new regime, which they call the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan, which relies heavily on foreign aid, faces near-total poverty resulting from political instability, frozen foreign reserves and a collapsed public finance system.
Hours after the final foreign forces flew out of Afghanistan, a group of Taliban leaders walked victorious through the airport, flanked by their elite "Badri 313" guards, to inspect what had been left behind. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid -- tipped to be minister of information when a new government is named -- led a group of officials onto the runway, his usual stoic expression replaced by a broad grin. The special forces unit posed for pictures, brandishing US M-16 rifles and flying the Taliban's white flag. The atmosphere was one of triumph and victory, but all around was evidence of the chaotic withdrawal of US troops after a 20-year occupation, and the hurried evacuation of more than 120,000 people fearful of the Taliban's return to power. ++COMPLETES VIDI9LX8NW_EN, VIDI9LX7DV_EN, VIDI9LX76R_EN and VIDI9LX69Q_EN++
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