Old images from Afghanistan shared as recent after Taliban's takeover - Alt News
Kinjal
20th August 2021 / 8:34 pm / Last updated: 20th August 2021
A few pictures of Afghanistan are being shared on social media as recent after the Taliban seized control in the country.
In the first image, a group of men is seen offering prayers. Facebook user Tahsinul Islam shared the visuals and wrote that members of the Taliban were offering prayers.
Another user posted this picture on a Facebook group called ‘আল্লামা সাঈদী&তারেক মুনাওয়ার সমর্থক কারি’.
It is widespread on Facebook.
2012 image
Through a simple reverse image search, we found the original image in an article in The Atlantic dated November 2, 2012. It is titled, “Afghanistan: October 2012”. The caption of the image states that it shows Afghans offering prayers at a mosque on the outskirts of Jalalabad on October 26, 2012.
The image in the report has been attributed to Rahmat Gul of AP Images. Based on this information, Alt News examined the collection of photographs captured by Gul on AP Images. We found this image posted on October 26, 2012. According to the website, it was taken during Eid-al-Adha celebrations in Kabul in October 2012.
In this picture, some people are seen carrying guns while hanging from a car. Users are sharing this and claiming that it shows members of the Taliban triumphantly entering Kabul. The accompanying Bengali message states, ‘Who can stop the victory bells of Islam?’ A Facebook user made the same claim while sharing the image.
Yet another user also promoted the image and accompanying claim.
It has been circulating widely on Facebook.
2018 image
Alt News performed a reverse image search and found the original photo in a June 16, 2018 article in The Washington Post. It states that the then President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, had extended the ceasefire with the Taliban insurgents as Eid was approaching. Because of this, locals came out on the streets in celebration. This image in the article has been attributed to Parvez of Reuters.
Upon checking the Reuters website, we found the picture posted on June 16, 2018.
To sum it up, old photos were shared as visuals of Taliban members celebrating in Afghanistan after the terrorist organisation captured Kabul.
Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization.
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