The Afghan Taliban has started operating Tiger armored vehicles, Chinese-made, model ZFB-05 Xinxing, produced by Baoji Special Vehicles Manufacturing.
The first images of these vehicles in the group’s possession were shared by a user on X, indicating that at least two units are already in use, although there are no official records of their transfer to Afghanistan.
The Tiger is an armored vehicle presented in 2012 at the international Eurosatory exhibition and used by several countries, including Bolivia, Somalia, Tajikistan, and Russia, as well as several African nations. Built based on the Nanjing NJ2046 model, a licensed version of the Iveco 40.10WM, the vehicle features a fully welded armored steel body, protection against 7.62×39 mm projectiles, bulletproof glass, and internal firing ports. Its structure also includes a V-shaped hull designed to reduce the impact of under-vehicle explosions.
Besides the Taliban, Tiger vehicles have also appeared in other conflict scenarios. The Ukrainian Defense Forces use captured units as war trophies, while the Russian National Guard and Chechen special forces from the Akhmat group have also been seen deploying the armored vehicle.
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: X @DoungaJohn | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
Pictures showing chinese made Tiger APCs of the Taliban/Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan military. pic.twitter.com/JKf7zk8HGv
— John Dounga (@DoungaJohn) October 22, 2025
