Taliban app removed from Google Play Store

The app, Pashto Afghan News, was removed just days after it went live

An app developed by the Taliban has been removed from the Google Play store, two days after the app's launch was reported in English-language media.

The app, which allowed users to access the group's Pashto website, is part of a growing digital campaign by the Taliban to grow its audience. Taking cues from the recruitment efforts of IS, the Taliban's website is now updated in five languages, including English and Arabic, while it also maintains a constant presence on Twitter and Facebook, despite attempts by the social networks to take down the accounts when these are discovered.