Writer:Salima Aryaei
Habibullah Agha, the Taliban’s Minister of Education, emphasized the necessity of acquiring modern knowledge and stated that “with a Kalashnikov and a yellow barrel,” it is impossible to defend the country against the enemy. He added that traditional tools are no longer effective in the current situation, and Afghanistan needs advanced defense equipment.
On Sunday, May 6th, during a ceremony in Bamyan province, the Taliban’s Minister of Education described the establishment of an advanced defense system as essential for Afghanistan, calling it one of the country’s urgent needs.
In a veiled reference to aerial threats, he mentioned that when the enemy attacks and bombs from the air, modern defense tools and capabilities must be in place to counter them.
Habibullah Agha also stated that, in the current circumstances, using a sword, Kalashnikov, and yellow barrels for defense is insufficient. According to him, Afghanistan requires technology and advanced defense systems to confront new threats.
He further explained that yellow barrels were primarily used in the past to conceal explosive materials on roads and target foreign forces, but in the present era, alongside such tools, acquiring advanced military capabilities is also necessary.
Over the past two decades, the Taliban had frequently used yellow barrels as explosive devices in their war against the former Afghan government and foreign forces. They would conceal explosives in these barrels and use them in attacks on military vehicles and government installations.
These barrels have also been displayed by the Taliban as part of their military equipment in some of their parades and in their Jihadi Museum.
In another part of his speech, the Taliban’s Minister of Education referred to the U.S. and Israel’s war with the Islamic Republic, stating that it was believed Iran would lose this war. However, according to him, due to its advanced defense systems, Iran has been able to demonstrate its superiority.
