This is actually a 2012 Associated Press photograph of Afghans offering Eid prayers
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on August 24, 2021 at 10:38
- 2 min read
- By Mohammad MAZED, AFP Bangladesh
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The image shows people in Afghan traditional dress offering prayers in an open field.
It has been shared widely on Facebook, including here on August 16, 2021.
The post's Bangla-language caption translates to English as: ‘’After the conquest of Kabul, The Taliban are performing Shukrana prayers [prayers of gratitude].’’
The image circulated online after Taliban fighters took control of the Afghan capital Kabul, ousting the US-backed government, on August 15, 2021, as AFP reported here.
The photo has also been posted here, here and here on Facebook alongside a similar claim.
However, the claim is false.
A Google reverse image search found the photo was actually taken by US news agency the Associated Press in 2012.
It can be seen in the AP's online archive here.
The photo was taken by AP photographer Rahmat Gul in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on October 26, 2012.
The photo's caption reads: "Afghans offer Eid al-Adha prayers outside a mosque in the outskirt of Jalalabad east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Oct. 26, 2012".
Below is a screenshot of the photo in the misleading Facebook post and the photo in AP's archive:
The photo was also featured in this report by American magazine The Atlantic published on November 2, 2012.
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