Surreal scenes in the Afghan capital as Islamic extremists who seized control of Afghanistan hold meetings on women's education and patrol the streets of Kabul with U.S.-made weapons.
Inside The Taliban's Kabul
- By RFE/RL
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A fighter wearing sandals stands guard as senior Taliban figure Abdul Baqi Haqqani addresses an all-male meeting on the Taliban's education policies at Kabul's Loya Jirga Hall on August 29.
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Haqqani (at podium) announced during the meeting that although Afghan women will be allowed to study at university, there will be a ban on mixed classes under Taliban rule.
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A woman covered by a burqa on the street in Kabul on August 27.
A female Kabul resident who spoke to RFE/RL by encrypted messaging said there was uncertainty in the Afghan capital about what Taliban rule will be like. "The spokesperson of the Taliban says they have changed and blah blah blah," the woman wrote. "But ordinary Taliban on the streets are so much different and rude, carrying guns."
A female Kabul resident who spoke to RFE/RL by encrypted messaging said there was uncertainty in the Afghan capital about what Taliban rule will be like. "The spokesperson of the Taliban says they have changed and blah blah blah," the woman wrote. "But ordinary Taliban on the streets are so much different and rude, carrying guns."
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Taliban fighters wearing modern ballistic helmets and carrying U.S.-made weapons at a checkpoint in Kabul on August 29.
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An abandoned U.S. armored vehicle seen in Kabul on August 29.
U.S. forces left behind billions of dollars' worth of military equipment as they evacuated Afghanistan -- much of it meant for the Afghan National Army. The modern weaponry has now fallen into the hands of the Taliban.
U.S. forces left behind billions of dollars' worth of military equipment as they evacuated Afghanistan -- much of it meant for the Afghan National Army. The modern weaponry has now fallen into the hands of the Taliban.
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Despite the risks, some schools have reopened. These students and their teacher at a Kabul middle school were photographed on their way to class on August 30.
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A military aircraft takes off from Kabul airport on August 27. The final evacuation of remaining U.S. troops in Kabul is scheduled to end on August 31.
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Crowds gather outside a closed branch of a Kabul bank on August 28. Since the Taliban seized power in Kabul, many government buildings, banks, schools, and universities have remained closed. As prices rise, cash is reportedly becoming harder to acquire.
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Burqa-clad women shop at a market in Kabul on August 28. Sales of all-encompassing burqas -- which were mandatory for women under the Taliban's previous regime -- have shot up in recent weeks.
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Internally displaced Afghan families in tents at a park in Kabul on August 18. The Taliban has demanded civilians hand over all government property, including weapons.
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A man sells Taliban flags and posters of the militant group's leaders in Kabul on August 27.
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Taliban fighters block a road in central Kabul with a U.S.-made Humvee on August 28.
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Daily life in Kabul
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