On rollerblades and AK-47 in hand, Taliban fighters show unusual traffic control skills in Kabul
Taliban security forces rollerblading through Kabul streets has gone viral. In the video, masked and camouflaged Taliban fighters were seen speeding through central Kabul on rollerblades and directing directing traffic. The security forces were also seen holding AK-47 automatic rifles.
A Kabul police spokesman confirmed the authenticity of the video. Speaking to the Telegraph, the official said that the security forces patrolling the Kabul streets on rollerblades operate under the Ministry of Interior. Another Taliban security official, also speaking to the Telegraph, admired the skating abilities of young Taliban members.
«It was really fun: amazing balance and body strength. It might be common in the world elsewhere, but for us, it was rare to see on the roads of Kabul,» he said. In the past, the Taliban has on many occasions shared propaganda videos of their security forces in action.
Commentators have raised doubts about the effectiveness of the Taliban's rollerblading tactic on the congested streets of Kabul, which are known for gridlocks and potholes.
It is to be noted that Police forces in other parts of the world have also experimented with rollerblades, including in Paris and in London (in pilot project), according to news report.
Closer home, police in Pakistan's Karachi had unveiled a 20-strong armed rollerblading unit in 2021.
«We felt we needed to come up with an innovative approach to control street crime,» a Karachi police official told Reuters. However, the rollerblading police could not be deployed across many parts of Karachi due to the poor road conditions.
Two years ago, the Taliban took over Afghanistan after collapase of a Western-backed government.
