In a fresh offensive launched against the US forces, the Taliban recreated the famous World War II photo of US Marines raising the flag on the island of Iwo Jima while donning US-made tactical gear.
In a bid to strengthen their hold over Afghanistan, the Taliban also released a series of footage that show the insurgents inspecting long lines of vehicles and opening crates of new firearms, communications gear, and even military drones.
The Taliban, which took control of Kabul in a sweeping victory also released a propaganda video of a fighting unit, the Badri 313 Battalion and patrolling parts of the city.
In the videos shared, the Taliban soldiers can be seen heavily armed in full military gear, running in slow motion and speaking to the camera while showcasing US-made and other modern weapons that appear to be seized from Afghan special forces.
The Badri 313 unit is named after the Battle of Badr, 1,400 years ago when Prophet Mohammed defeated the enemy with just 313 men, the Hindustan Times noted.
As per media reports, the original Iwo Jima photograph was clicked by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945 which later went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Photography in the same year as its publication. The significance of the photo also holds because it was later used for the construction of the Marine Corps War Memorial in 1954, which was dedicated to honouring all Marines who died in service since 1775.
After the US withdrew its forces, the Taliban was able to secure all kinds of supplies and weaponry. Fox News reported White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan saying “we don’t have a complete picture, obviously, of where every article of defence materials has gone.” The Taliban has reportedly taken control of various helicopters and light attack aircraft, including 35 American Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
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