Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have been barred from taking their weapons to amusement parks

• Fighters have also been banned from wearing uniforms and bringing vehicles into the parks.
• Videos of Taliban fighters having fun at the parks emerged after they took over the country in August.

Taliban fighters have been banned from carrying their weapons into Afghanistan's amusement parks, said the group's lead spokesperson on Wednesday.

They will also not be allowed to wear uniforms or bring vehicles into such places, said Zabihullah Mujahid on Twitter. "Mujahidin are obliged to abide by all the rules and regulations of amusement parks," he said in the post.

Wednesday's announcement was part of the group's effort to soften its public image, Reuters reported.

Shortly after the group's takeover of the country last August, videos appeared to show armed Taliban fighters at play on amusement park rides. In one video, fighters carrying assault rifles were seen riding bumper cars.

Some fighters had earlier told Reuters that they were eager to visit the parks before returning to their duties in other parts of the country.

The Taliban took over as Afghanistan's new rulers on August 15, 2021, following the fall of the country's capital city of Kabul. Since then, the group has struggled to feed its population of 39 million people, with more than 20 million estimated to be on the brink of famine.

According to The New York Times, more than a million Afghans have tried to flee the country since the Taliban takeover.