Viral: Taliban fighter shoots at Afghan man trying to enter Kabul airport

Kabul, Aug 17: A purported video, showing a Taliban fighter, shooting at a civilian, who was trying to enter the Kabul airport has gone viral on social media, adding to the distressing visuals from the war-ravaged Afghanistan.

"Taliban Fighter shooting on a man trying to enter to the Kabul Airport. He actually expected the Taliban to behave like the police of the previous Government, while No, Taliban speak another language of behavior, the Afghan Asvaka News agency tweeted, posting the clip of the gory incident.

Taliban Fighter shooting on a man trying to enter to the #kabulairport, He actually expected the Taliban to behave like the police of the previous Government, while No, Taliban speak another language of behavior. pic.twitter.com/3T8tcl4joY

— Aśvaka - آسواکا News Agency (@AsvakaNews) August 17, 2021

The viral video shows a man in black clothes shooting a civilian, who was trying to climb the wall in a bid to enter the airport.

Videos aired by TV channels and circulated in social media also showed thousands of Afghans flooding the Kabul airport to leave Afghanistan as the Taliban takes hold of the country.

Why are people fleeing Afghansitan?

Afghans are worried that the country could descend into chaos or the Taliban could carry out revenge attacks against those who worked with the Americans or the government. Many also fear the Taliban will reimpose the harsh interpretation of Islamic law that they relied when they ran Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

Back then, women were barred from attending school or working outside the home. They had to wear the all-encompassing burqa and be accompanied by a male relative whenever they went outside. The Taliban banned music, cut off the hands of thieves and stoned adulterers.

The Taliban have sought to present themselves as a more moderate force in recent years and say they won't exact revenge, but many Afghans are skeptical of those promises.

The Taliban have seized power in Afghanistan two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war.

The insurgents stormed across the country, capturing all major cities in a matter of days, as Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the US and its allies melted away.