Photo of girls covering ears is not linked to gunfire in Kabul

Dunya News

The picture began to circulate again on social media in September 2021.

(Reuters) - An emotive image of two frightened children that was widely shared on social media around the time of the May 2021 Israel-Palestinian conflict has resurfaced with misleading captions that link it to Kabul.

The photograph, which shows two young girls seemingly covering their ears to block out noise, was posted by numerous accounts in mid-May 2021, with captions such as "Palestinian children in Gaza live in trauma without an end!". 

None of the posts examined by Reuters gave further clues as to the girls’ location, or the exact situation in which the photograph was captured, but this check will be updated if details later emerge.

The picture began to circulate again on social media in September 2021 by people showing concern at the plight of young people in Kabul.

Imagery from unconnected events has been regularly shared online during the course of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.