Fasihuddin Fitrat, chief of the Taliban army, described the new uniform as a “symbol of order, unity and solidarity” and urged members of the force to comply with the regulations.
In a press release issued on Monday, the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense said three types of uniforms had been designed for commando, border and “National Islamic Army” forces. The group has added the term “Islamic” to the title of the national army.
Over the past four years, Taliban security forces have taken an inconsistent approach to uniforms. Many Ministry of Defense personnel have been seen wearing uniforms from the former Afghan National Army, while others have operated without official military dress, often wearing traditional clothing.
In recent days, several Taliban-affiliated social media activists have criticised the design and appearance of the new uniforms.
Some of the designs resemble the attire worn by Pakistan’s security forces, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including shirt-and-trouser styles with long tunics.
During roughly three decades since the group’s emergence in the 1990s, the Taliban did not maintain a formal military uniform.
After returning to power in 2021, the group dissolved much of the former Afghan National Army but retained the administrative structure of the Ministry of Defense and several other ministries with limited changes.