Taliban Develop Smartphone App to Advance Propaganda Efforts
- Militant group pushing into Internet to boost visibility
- Afghan government has been fighting group for more than decade
An Afghan former Taliban fighter carries his weapon before handing it over as part of a government peace and reconciliation process at a ceremony in Jalalabad.
Photographer: Noorullah Shirzada/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Afghanistan’s Taliban guerrillas developed an online application for Android smartphones, signaling the militant group is becoming more adept at using Internet and wireless technologies to increase visibility.
The app “is part of our advanced technological efforts to make more global audience," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said Sunday in a telephone interview discussing the release of the app. The U.S.-based SITE Intel Group, which monitors jihadist social media, reported the development on Friday.