KABUL, 07 October 2021, (TON): After spending 13 years as a Taliban fighter waging an insurgency, Rahimullah is now slowly adjusting to the relatively ordinary role of a policeman in Afghanistan's capital.

Like the rest of the Taliban, he is grappling with an awkward transition from rebel fighter to civilian patrolman, as the hardliners vow security and build a new police force.

Kabul residents say street crime has dropped, with widespread fear rooted in memories of the Taliban's brutal regime in the 1990s, infamous for harsh punishments such as public stoning, lashing and amputations.

"This is not risky work," says Rahimullah, who joined the Taliban as a teenager "for Islam and for my country".

There is widespread fear of the Taliban, rooted in memories of their brutal first regime in the 1990s

There is widespread fear of the Taliban, rooted in memories of their brutal first regime in the 1990s.

The 28-year-old from neighbouring Wardak province, along with his team of eight men, has the task of managing security in a central Kabul district.

His work involves "catching thieves, murderers and those who drink wine", he tells AFP, which was allowed to accompany a patrol overseen by a more senior Taliban official.