Afghanistan has marked five years since the Taliban swept back to power amid a chaotic US withdrawal. Celebrations have been held across the country, with officials describing Afghanistan as safer and “free.”

The US invaded Afghanistan in late 2001 following the September 11 attacks, for which Washington identified Al-Qaeda as being responsible. The group’s leaders, including Osama bin Laden, were based in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan at the time. US forces withdrew as the country’s Western-backed government rapidly collapsed and the Taliban recaptured Kabul in August 2021. Once central to US foreign policy – with American taxpayers footing an estimated $2.3 trillion bill for the 20-year occupation – Afghanistan has since largely faded from Western attention.

Since returning to power, the Taliban has brought an end to much of the fighting that plagued the country for decades. Officials and supporters marked what they call “Fatah,” or “victory” day, on Saturday with celebrations across Kabul. Thousands gathered waving Islamic Emirate flags and carrying US-made weapons left behind after the withdrawal.

However, Afghanistan remains under sweeping sanctions, while the Taliban government is still largely unrecognized abroad.

RT India’s Runjhun Sharma traveled to Afghanistan to see how much the country has changed – and whether it is now as safe as its authorities claim, noting “there’s a lot of nuance, a lot of layers to the Taliban story.”

Watch her report below, part of RT India’s upcoming series on Afghanistan.