Gulf Today Report
Taliban have been going gaga after taking over Kabul in a blitzkrieg advancement that stunned the world and opened dialogues among Western powers about the future of Afghanistan.
Several hundreds of videos circulating on social media appear to show bearded Taliban fighters laughing and horsing around on amusement park rides and in an indoor gym.
A particular video went viral of Taliban fighters enjoying a ride on bumper cars ride at the amusement park.
Another video showed middle-aged men enjoying the merry-go-round and talking animatedly among themselves.
The Taliban took control of the presidential palace in Kabul on Sunday hours after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.
On Tuesday morning, some Taliban fighters were using the gym in the presidential palace.
A fighter who was seen casually holding RPG in the gym filmed the video of others running on treadmills and an epileptic machine.
A Twitter user, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, wrote, “The gym of the Presidential Palace in Kabul.
Not a single Taliban tried to deadlift. One of them pressed ~50 lbs. Tells you something about the strength of the other side…”
Another one wrote, “ This Taliban n**** casually had an RPG in the gym like it was a bench press bar…”
A woman wrote on Twitter, “Bad form in the gym will contribute to the fall of the Taliban…”
Foreign media in Kabul said some Taliban fighters who rolled into the capital and other cities appeared to be awestruck by the towering apartment blocks, modern office buildings and shopping malls.
The Taliban held a press conference on Tuesday and vowed to the world that they will respect women's rights.
The also said that they would forgive those who resisted them.
Experts said that this publicity blitz was aimed at convincing world powers and a fearful population that they have changed.