Taliban special forces have sparked fresh concerns as they were pictured armed to the teeth using American weapons and technology.
Also known as the Badri 313, Taliban special forces have begun showing off their military power in promotional material featuring trained soldiers in modern military equipment.
While the Taliban have long been deemed as farmers and shepherds armed with AK-47s, fresh pictures prove that they have upgraded their special forces in terms of weapons and technology.
In pictures shared by Badri 313, soldiers are seen wearing state-of-the-art bulletproof vests, night-vision goggles, tactical rifles and knee pads, and American-style helmets. In one photo, special forces are even seen posing with an armored Humvee.
As experts believe, the Taliban likely picked up weapons and equipment left behind by soldiers amid Afghani soldiers’ defeat and the West’s sudden withdrawal from the country.
According to war veteran Zaid Hamid, the Taliban “have really come of age” by making use of what was at their disposal.
“When I was part of Afghan Mujahideen, we defeated the Soviet Union using the Soviet weapons, either snatched from the Soviet army or given to us by our allies,” the Soviet-Afghan war veteran said.
“But Afghan Taliban have gone a step further. They only snatched from the Americans and the Afghan army. From a rag tag militia of shepherds, farmers and shopkeepers, Afghan Taliban have really come of age. Indians fear that very soon they will find them in Indian-occupied Kashmir too.”
Meanwhile, Major General G G Dwivedi of India warned that the Taliban pose “a danger to the entire region” in an interview with India Today.
While people have begun questioning how the Taliban managed to get their hands on Western equipment and weapons, experts suggest they have most likely been seizing and snatching what was left behind by defeated Afghan soldiers and departing Western troops.
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