yadullah marvi/YouTube
- A video appears to show Taliban security forces patrolling Kabul on rollerblades.
- The uniformed troops carry AK-47s as they weave through traffic.
- The Taliban took complete control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of US troops.
Taliban security forces appear to be using an unconventional mode of transport to patrol the streets of Kabul — rollerblades.
A video posted on YouTube shows what appears to be several uniformed Taliban members carrying AK-47s and "skitching," holding on to a truck while being pulled along.
At times, the gunmen, who have Taliban flags attached to their shoulders, separate from the vehicles and expertly weave through traffic on their rollerblades.
The video shows onlookers on the side of the road watching the convoy with interest.
The 22-minute video has a soundtrack of Hollywood-esque background music, and a siren can be heard blaring.
The video was posted by an Afghan YouTuber who describes himself as a parkour athlete. The video's caption describes it as a "military performance of figure skating in the streets of Kabul."
The slick video appears to have been made for propaganda purposes and is a departure from the types of content previously posted by the YouTuber.
Other videos on the channel show the YouTuber doing parkour and are titled in Persian, unlike the rollerblading video, which appears to be filmed by someone on the truck and is titled in English, suggesting it was filmed to reach a Western audience.
Following the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban took complete control of the country.
The Islamic militant group overthrew the previous Afghan government and reinstated what they call the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the formal name of their government.
Since taking power, the group has faced condemnation from international organizations for its restriction of women's rights and the media and a crackdown on perceived opponents.