logo
Taliban launches warped Afghan TOURISM campaign with vid of brutes posing beside ‘hostage' in ISIS-style mock execution

Taliban launches warped Afghan TOURISM campaign with vid of brutes posing beside ‘hostage' in ISIS-style mock execution

Scottish Sun10-07-2025
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
AFGHANISTAN has launched a bizarre video campaign to attract tourists - including a chilling hostage video.
The slick professionally produced video starts with footage of a hooded man surrounded by armed men in an ISIS-style execution.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
10
The video begins with what initially resembles a heinous execution video
Credit: Instagram / @afghanarabc
10
But when the bag is lifted, a man is smiling with his thumbs-up and says in an American accent 'welcome to Afrghanistan'
Credit: Instagram / @afghanarabc
10
An American 'tourist' appears in the video
Credit: Instagram / @afghanarabc
10
One even shows a man waving a gun while swimming
Credit: Instagram / @afghanarabc
Five men holding gargantuan machine guns are seen eerily standing over three prisoners, with their heads covered with black bags.
The leader is heard saying: "We have one message for America."
The hood is then snatched off before he grins: 'Welcome to Afghanistan.'
The weird promotional ad then focuses on gunmen in the back of pick-up trucks amid rugged scenery alongside a group of American tourists.
read more news
DOWN THE BARREL Driver pulls gun & shoots cops at point blank range after Taliban rant
Pictures of armed Mujahideen warriors whose weapons are emblazoned with the words 'fake gun" are shown.
And the group are seen diving into lakes, eating extravagant meals, standing under waterfalls and taking pictures with presumably confused children.
One chilling clip shows an American holding a US Army-issue M4A1 carbine.
This was the weapon predominantly used by American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It comes as no surprise that women have no role in the vile video.
It currently remains unknown whether the video is connected to official Afghani institutions.
Terrifying bodycam shows moment driver pulls gun & shoots cops at point-blank range after ranting about the Taliban
Taliban mullahs desperate to soften their terrifying image are behind the tourist marketing video, shared across social media by in Arabic (@afghanarabc).
The Taliban began their drive to make Afghanistan a tourist hotspot in spring 2024, with a tourism and hotel management school opened.
Since then, social media channels have worked to promote the country's history as a way to lure in holidaymakers.
Last month, Afghanistan's Deputy Minister of Tourism Qudratullah Jamal said: "The Afghan people are warm and welcoming and wish to host tourists from other countries and engage with them.
"Tourism brings many benefits to a country. We have considered those benefits and aim for our nation to take full advantage of them.
"We are optimistic this sector will evolve into a large economy, bringing significant benefits. It plays an important role in strengthening our national economy."
Nearly a whopping 9,000 foreign tourists visited the country last year alone, while nearly 3,000 visited in the first three months of 2025, Jamal said.
He refused to answer questions about the Taliban's treatment of women, however.
10
Taliban members paddle in a boat as they and Afghan families enjoy a visit to one of the lakes in Band-e Amir national park
Credit: Getty
10
The video features American holidaymakers as they go on various activities
Credit: Instagram / @afghanarabc
10
It comes as no surprise that women weren't featured in the video
Credit: Instagram / @afghanarabc
10
The Taliban have made desperate efforts to attract tourists
Credit: Instagram / @afghanarabc
Jamal added: "Those who respect our laws and traditions have already come and can continue to come."
Since US forces withdrew in 2022, Afghanistan has been under the boot of the extremist Taliban regime.
In the Taliban-controlled country, women are unable to leave the house without a man, speak in public or even look through a window while home.
The Afghanistan government's strict "virtue and vice" laws force women to stop doing various things in public, like showing their face and bodies, singing or reading aloud, and looking at men they are not related to.
Women in the country are also no longer able to visit national parks or beauty salons, play sports or even go solo travelling beyond the perimeter of their houses due to sickening morality laws.
Some social media sites like Instagram and TikTok are beginning to show travel guides for Afghanistan, predominantly created by female travel influencers from countries like the UK, Australia and Hungary.
The Foreign Office warns against all travel to the nation and the heightened risk of detention.
10
One man even records himself under a waterfall for the bizarre video
Credit: Instagram / @afghanarabc
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Hollywood star under fire for 'sick' comments on Colbert cancellation
Hollywood star under fire for 'sick' comments on Colbert cancellation

Daily Mail​

time20 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Hollywood star under fire for 'sick' comments on Colbert cancellation

Sandra Oh's (pictured) strong words against CBS & Paramount raised eyebrows in the wake of their cancellation of The Late Show hosted by Stephen Colbert. The Killing Eve actress, 54, garnered controversy after making a number of strong comments on Tuesday's edition of the late night series on the network, with one prominent CBS commentator saying her sentiments were misguided. The Canadian-American star expressed her anger and frustration with Colbert's cancellation this month , after a 10-season run. 'Like probably everyone here and everyone who is so supportive outside wants to say that I am so sorry and saddened and properly outraged for the cancellation of late-night here,' the Emmy-winning actress said. Oh, a two-time Golden Globe winner, said that the decision made on the corporate level - which many say had political undertones - was a game-changer for standards in the U.S. amid President Donald Trump's second term. 'Not only for yourself and for this entire family who are here, but for what it means, of what it means where we are in our culture and what it means for free speech,' said the Sideways actress. Oh, who played Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 until 2014, made strong wishes against the companies that were behind the move. 'So I just want to say, sorry, and also if I can have your hand,' she told the host, 'to CBS and Paramount - a plague on both of your houses.' Colbert said he was 'very grateful' as he wagged his finger, adding, 'I think they've been great partners.' Oh, who portrayed the role of Eve Polastri on the drama Killing Eve, garnered a number of strong responses via social media following the appearance - with some people saying she took things too far. Tony Dokoupil (pictured) of CBS Mornings said Oh had things pegged wrong in blaming Colbert's show ending on politics, amid a changing economic landscape in late night TV - and culture. 'The business is broken,' Dokoupil said. 'And what no one seems to acknowledge is that the politics also changed. 'The business changed and so did the politics, and it got way more one-sided than anything Johnny Carson was ever doing.' (Carson, who died in 2005, famously was one to steer clear of going too far left or right so as not to put off a chunk of his audience.) Dokoupil added, 'I think we should reflect on those changes as well - it's been a big shift culturally in that regard also.' Others applauded The Sympathizer star's strong support for the embattled Colbert, with one Instagram user declaring, 'I love a good Shakespearean insult.' Another user on the platform said: 'I know Stephen is really really sad mostly because he knows 200 people will also be out of work. He's a good man and he feels responsible. By the way, I love Sandra Oh!' A user responded of Oh: 'Technically she used their own platform against them, Colbert's show.' Said one X/Twitter user: 'sandra oh wishing a plague on cbs and paramount on steven colbert's show she's everything.' Another added, 'I'm screamingggg she's too funny.' The move to ax Colbert was a controversial one within some circles of Hollywood, as the late night host has received words of public support from the genre's elder statesman, David Letterman ; as well as former host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart. Stewart lashed out amid news of the cancelation, linking it to the $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, which needed to be OK'ed by the Federal Communications Commission under Trump's administration. 'The shows that you now seek to cancel, censor and control, a not insignificant portion of that $8 billion value came from those [expletive] shows,' Stewart said. Dokoupil said that while he understood 'the emotional views' Stewart expressed, they weren't square with good business tactics. 'I don't have an MBA but he's not right that the merger, the $8 billion, is based on reruns of a comedy show, no,' he said. 'People are buying the movies and the sitcoms and the sports. They're not based on reruns of [CBS Mornings] either, so I think it's wrong.'

Ellie Goulding, 38, jets off on romantic summer holiday with actor lover, 28
Ellie Goulding, 38, jets off on romantic summer holiday with actor lover, 28

Metro

time22 minutes ago

  • Metro

Ellie Goulding, 38, jets off on romantic summer holiday with actor lover, 28

Ellie Goulding is heating up the summer as she shared a string of sultry bikini snaps from a lavish holiday in Italy, fresh off the rumoured reveal of her new romance. The 38-year-old singer left fans swooning with a series of Instagram photos posted Thursday, showing off her gym-honed figure and golden tan while soaking up the Mediterranean sun with her new beau, US actor Beau Minniear, 28. The photo dump included Ellie posing in bathing suits, catching rays with a book in hand, and later switching to a green two-piece. In another shot, the pop star cradled a coconut while modelling a Fenty bikini, before turning up the glam with polished mirror selfies and breezy summer daywear. She captioned the carousel simply: 'Carbs.' The sun-soaked snaps come just days after Goulding reportedly made her new relationship with actor Beau Minniear public. According to The Sun, the pair debuted their romance during a high-profile night out at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, attending the heavyweight clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois. It marks Ellie's first known romance since a brief fling with 29-year-old surf instructor Armando Perez, following her split f from husband Caspar Jopling, 33, with whom she shares four-year-old son Arthur. Ellie and Jopling, an art dealer, quietly separated last year after five years of marriage. Ellie told fans she had been left with 'no choice' but to publicly announce that they had been separated for 'some time.' 'In light of recent stories, I feel I have been left with no choice but to let you all know that Caspar and I privately separated some time ago,' she wrote at the time. 'We remain the closest of friends and have been successfully co-parenting with our son's best interests at heart.' Rumours of a spark between Ellie and Beau began swirling earlier this month after she shared a since-deleted TikTok video showing her stroking a mystery man's arm. More Trending Eagle-eyed fans matched the watch he was wearing to one Beau frequently sports in his own Instagram posts. Both also posted images from the same luxe hotel in Florence, further fuelling speculation. A source told The Sun: 'Ellie is into Beau and they have a lot of shared interests like exercise and art. They've been having fun together and they certainly make for an attractive couple.' Minniear has appeared in a handful of TV and film roles in the US, including Night at the Eagle Inn (2021), The Thieves of Motor City, and Bad Haircut. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.

Upgrade your specs with Olivia Attwood's curated collection of frames at Boots
Upgrade your specs with Olivia Attwood's curated collection of frames at Boots

Metro

time22 minutes ago

  • Metro

Upgrade your specs with Olivia Attwood's curated collection of frames at Boots

Metro journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more Move over handbags and shoes because glasses are officially the new must-have fashion accessory for 2025. According to new research, 40% of Brits see eyewear as the ultimate style statement but many of us have a difficult time choosing the right frames. Enter Boots Opticians who have joined forces with TV personality Olivia Attwood Dack to help glasses wearers feel confident and stylish in their frames. For years, glasses were labelled as 'geeky' or purely practical but those days are long gone. With the rise of designer frames and high-profile celebs proudly sporting specs on red carpets, eyewear is now seen as the ultimate fashion statement. For the collaboration, Olivia, who has become known for her stylish glasses, has handpicked six stylish frames for a curated 'Olivia's Style Picks' collection. Featuring a range of styles, from sleek Gucci metallic wire frames to chunky Saint Laurent sunglasses and edgy All Saints cat-eyes, there's something to suit everyone. The reality star has been wearing glasses since her teens and has always been very pro specs. 'A chic pair of glasses is the ultimate fashion accessory,' she says. 'They're often the first thing people notice, and they have the power to really change your look.' 'I love mixing and matching my frames to enhance different outfits. That's why I'm so excited to be working with Boots Opticians – to help people find the perfect frames for them, and for people to enjoy wearing glasses as much as I do.' More Trending For many, choosing which glasses to go for can be difficult, in fact, research from Boots Opticians shows that over half (52%) of glasses wearers find choosing glasses a daunting experience and 39% of people don't feel confident choosing glasses. But, Boots Opticians has got that covered with their expert in-store Eyewear Stylists who are trained to give personalised advice. Whether it's matching frames to your face shape, skin tone or personal style, they're there to figure out which frames are the ones for you. So next time you need specs, make it a style moment and let Boots help you find the right pair. To find out more or take a look at Boots Opticians' entire range of glasses, includ0ing Olivia's Picks, visit or in store and get the perfect pair for you. Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Share your views in the comments below MORE: Stock up on all your holiday essentials for less, thanks to the Boots Big Summer Sale MORE: Boots expands its £3 Glossy Lip Balm collection to rival Summer Fridays MORE: One P. Louise skincare base is sold every minute – and it's your multitasking beauty essential

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store