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  • 2021-12-08 (xsd:date)
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  • This image circulated in reports about Taliban seizing US weapons in Afghanistan (en)
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  • An image is circulating in Facebook posts that claim it shows US weapons seized from anti-junta fighters in Myanmar. The picture was shared by a pro-military accounts as resistance groups sprung up across the country in response to the military's deadly crackdown on dissent. The posts are misleading; the image circulated in reports about the Taliban seizing US-made weapons in Afghanistan in August 2021 . The US State Department denied supplying arms to anti-coup fighters in Myanmar. The image was shared here on Facebook on November 26. US-made weapons seized today from the PDF in South Okkalapa still bear their logo. It's known that the Americans are helping the PDF, but this is the first time their weapons were seized in large quantity, the Burmese-language post reads. Screenshot of the misleading post taken on December 3, 2021 Dozens of people's defence forces (PDFs) have sprung up across Myanmar to fight back against the junta that seized power in February, ousting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The college dropouts and villagers that fill their ranks have dealt some painful blows to junta troops with guerilla ambushes and mine attacks against the heavily-armed military. Some social media users appeared to be misled by the posts. Evil US, may it face many tragedies, one person commented. Americans, you are so canny, another wrote. The image circulated in similar Facebook posts here and here . However, the posts are misleading. Reverse image searches on Google traced the image of the weapons to a report on Taliban fighters seizing US-made weapons in Afghanistan. The report, headlined Videos of Taliban’s weapons seizure in Afghanistan embarrass Washington was published on August 22, 2021 by Dubai-based channel Al Arabiya. It features an AFP text article alongside an Al Arabiya video, which features the same image of the weapons circulating in misleading posts. screenshot comparison of the image from the misleading post (R) to the image from the news report (L) The footage shows a group of men speaking Pashto inspecting weapons laid out on the ground. AFP reported on similar videos of the Taliban seizing weapons supplied by Western powers on August 14, 2021. The US State Department denied claims it was arming anti-coup fighters in Myanmar. The rumour that the United States is arming anti-regime forces is categorically false, a spokesperson told AFP. The United States continues to work with its partners and allies to press the regime to cease the violence, release all those unjustly detained, address human rights abuses, and restore Burma's path to inclusive democracy. (en)
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