Fact Check: Old image shared as Taliban praying after takeover of Kabul

Social media users are sharing images that claim to show groups of Taliban offering namaz after their takeover of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, on 15

By Newsmeter Network  Published on  18 Aug 2021 5:15 AM GMT
Fact Check: Old image shared as Taliban praying after takeover of Kabul

Hyderabad: Social media users are sharing images that claim to show groups of Taliban offering namaz after their takeover of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, on 15 August. A photograph similar to this image is being shared with a caption in Bengali that when translated reads, "A thanksgiving prayer after winning Kabul."

The link to the post can be seen here.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/652887662070206/permalink/797765900915714/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/652887662070206/permalink/797765900915714/

Fact check:

The claim is false.

NewsMeter ran a reverse image search on the photograph and found the same photograph on an article published on 12 November 2012, by The Atlantic. The caption of the image reads, "Afghans offering Eid al-Adha prayers on October 26, 2012, outside a mosque on the outskirts of Jalalabad, Afghanistan." The photo has been credited to the international news agency Associated Press.

Further, we performed a keyword search and found the photo on the Associated Press's website. The caption with the photo reads, "Afghans offer Eid al-Adha prayers outside a mosque in the outskirt of Jalalabad east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, October 26, 2012."

Eid al-Adha is a religious festival celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. Photographer Rahmat Gul from Associated Press took the photograph.

Hence, the claim is false.

Claim Review:Image of Taliban celebrating after their Kabul takeover
Claimed By:Facebook User
Claim Reviewed By:Newsmeter
Claim Source:Facebook
Claim Fact Check:False
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