Fact Check: Did Taliban supporters paint walls to celebrate Afghanistan takeover?
An image of men painting a wall is viral on social media. Users claim that Taliban supporters are celebrating Afghanistan takeover.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 23 Aug 2021 11:00 AM GMT
Hyderabad: An image of men painting a wall is viral on social media. Users claim that Taliban supporters are celebrating Afghanistan takeover.
The image is shared on Facebook with a caption in Sinhala that translates: "How Afghan Taliban youth celebrate their victory by painting walls!"
Original claim: ඇෆ්ගන් තලෛබාන් තරුණයින්
The link to the post can be viewed here.
Click here and here to view a similar claim.
Fact Check:
The claim is misleading.
NewsMeter performed a Reverse Image Search. We found the same image published in a news article dated September 1, 2019. The headline of the article read: "War-weary Afghans see little voice in their country's fate during US-Taliban peace talks."
The caption of the image reads: "In this Friday, Aug. 30, 2019 photo, independent Afghan artists paint tulips on blast walls in Kabul, Afghanistan."
We found the same image published on AP's website dated August 30, 2019. "In this Friday, Aug. 30, 2019 photo, Independent Afghan artists' paint tulips on blast walls in Kabul, Afghanistan, For almost a year, Afghanistan's more than 30 million people have been in the awkward position of waiting as a United States envoy and the Taliban negotiate their country's fate behind closed doors," read the caption of the image.
It is evident that an old image of Afghan men painting tulips on blast walls in Kabul are being shared as Taliban supporters celebrating their victory. Therefore, the claim is misleading.
