What you need to know about Badri-313

Meet the Taliban’s special forces unit now patrolling Afghanistan with looted American equipment. Pictures of fighters in the Badri 313 unit show them wearing uniforms, boots, balaclavas, and body armor similar to those worn by special forces around the world-shattering the stereotypical image held by many of Taliban soldiers. Experts say the new unit demonstrates the Taliban have come of age from a rag-tag militia of shepherds and farmers. ‘There is certainly a degree of propaganda, but we saw during the final offensive since May that the Taliban special forces have been critical in the taking over of Afghanistan,’ explained Bill Roggio, managing editor of the US-based Long War Journal. Follow us on Telegram /