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The rise of the Taliban
The Taliban first started to gather support in the south of Afghanistan in the early 1990s. On September 27th 1996 they took control of the country's capital Kabul.
The Taliban first started to gather support in the south of Afghanistan in the early 1990s. By September 27th 1996 they had taken control of the country's capital Kabul. Journalist and writer Ahmed Rashid watched their rise, from the religious schools in refugee camps on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, to their ultimate victory over the American-led coalition forces. He's been speaking to Zak Brophy.
Photo:Taliban fighters on the back of a vehicle in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 2021. Credit: EPA/STRINGER
Last on
Tue 28 Sep 202102:50GMT
BBC World Service
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- Mon 27 Sep 202107:50GMTBBC World Service
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- Tue 28 Sep 202102:50GMTBBC World Service
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