KABUL, (PNA/Xinhua) — Taliban militants fighting Afghan government and NATO-led forces to regain power in the militancy- plagued Afghanistan, contrary to the past, have been enormously using the internet in the propaganda war, a change of mind unthinkable 12 years ago.
The armed outfit which was dethroned by the U.S.-led military coalition invasion in late 2001, had outlawed internet, television, video player, cinema, photography and all kind of entertainment during its six-year rule which collapsed in late 2001, nowadays is largely relying on internet to send out its activities and messages to the world.
Today, the Taliban outfit has several websites to publish their military and political activities and put on wire for its readers across the globe.
Contrary to the past, which the fundamentalist outfit had banned Photoshop and filming, the Taliban militants today put on display the clips and footage of their activities, which are carried mostly in the shape of suicide attacks, roadside bombings and car bombs against the security forces.
Their websites in English, Arabic, Dari, Pashtu and Urdu languages, are full of written stories, articles, clips and photos of Taliban activities against Afghan and the NATO-led forces based in Afghanistan.
Clinging on re-establishing Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the name given to Taliban’s ousted regime, the armed outfit in its statements and stories posted on its websites often propagated that the Mujadhiden, or the holy warriors, of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have targeted the Afghan and foreign forces, inflicting huge casualties.
For instance, the Taliban on Saturday claimed in its website carrying out series of attacks against security forces in several provinces of Afghanistan, including the capital city Kabul, and inflicting casualties.
According to Taliban claim posted on its website, Taliban fighters fired a rocket on a unit of Rishkhor Corps in Charasiab area south of Kabul city, inflicting casualties, a claim rejected by officials as mere propaganda.
The militants, in a statement posted on their website, also claimed killing two police and injuring three others in Ahmad Khil District of the southeastern Paktia Province Saturday morning, a claim termed by officials as baseless.
Taliban militants, during their rule in 90 percent of Afghanistan, did not allow any living creatures to be pictured. However, today they post the photos of their fighters and their firefight’s clips on their websites.
To get public attention, the Taliban militants also run a studio named Manbaul Jihad, which films Taliban military activities including conducting suicide attacks and put them on their websites.