State media outlets in the provinces of Kandahar, Takhar and Maidan Wardak have been advised "not to air or show images of anything with a soul – meaning people and animals", said Arab News, months after warnings that the Taliban's severe morality rules were creating a climate of fear.

The Taliban is preventing certain outlets from airing images of human beings or animals, according to officials. The rule pertains to certain provinces at the time being.

The move to ban images of living beings follows the introduction of strict guidelines by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

A Taliban official says official media have stopped showing images of living beings in some Afghan provinces to comply with morality laws.

Afghanistan’s Taliban morality ministry pledged on Monday to implement a law banning news media from publishing images of all living things, with journalists told the rule will be gradually enforced.

At least two TV channels run by the Taliban in a northern Afghan province have stopped showing images of living beings during their broadcasts. The government has implemented a law banning the media from using pictures and videos of things and souls,