Flags, music as Taliban authorities mark five years ruling Afghanistan
A convoy of Taliban security personnel is seen near the former U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Aug. 15, 2026 as they celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Taliban government's return to power. (AFP)
The Taliban government celebrated five years of ruling Afghanistan on Aug. 14, with flags galore and convoys of military vehicles, while critics decried tightening restrictions in all areas of daily life.
Afghans riding rickshaws and motorbikes decorated with flags drove around Kabul on a day that government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said "will be written in golden lines in the history of Afghanistan".
Hundreds of Afghans gathered around a square beside the former U.S. embassy, with men, boys and young girls packed into pickup trucks and waving white Taliban government flags.
