Taliban members inspect the site of a roadside bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Jan. 16, 2022.(Photo: Xinhua)

Taliban authorities on Wednesday introduced new uniforms for its reconstituted Afghan police force, as the de facto government attempts to shift away from using its insurgent military forces to handle law and order.

After the withdrawal of foreign forces ended a 20-year war in 2021, the Western-backed government and its security bodies collapsed in the face of Taliban military advances. World governments do not recognize the new Taliban set up.

The interior ministry, led by Taliban officials, announced at a press conference that a new uniform had been designed for the police force.

The main changes, observed on the new uniforms worn by some officers at the briefing, were in terms of color, now dark blue instead of lighter grey-blue, and the replacing of Afghanistan's tri-colored republican flag with the Taliban's Islamic Emirate flag on the sleeve.

The Taliban does not recognize the traditional republican flag, used by the Western-backed governments that came to power after foreign forces toppled the Taliban government in 2001.

The Taliban had also used the Islamic Emirate flag - white with black Arabic lettering displaying Islam's main tenet.

Acting Deputy Interior Minister Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali said a police force with new uniforms had been a top priority since taking over, but did not give details on its size.

Interior ministry spokesperson Abdul Nafi Takor said 20,000 uniforms were prepared under contract from a local company and 100,000 more would be made in coming weeks.

The new uniformed police force will be used first in the provinces of Kabul and Kandahar.

Jalali said over 50,000 personnel had undergone short training courses and 400 officers had graduated the long course.

Reuters