Why did the Taliban destroy the Bamiyan Buddha statues in 2001?

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Ajanta Caves: reclining Buddha — World Heritage site Reclining Buddha statue, Ajanta Caves, north-central Maharashtra state, India.

The Taliban destroyed the two massive Buddha statues in Bamiyan in March 2001 because they denounced the figures as idolatrous and contrary to Islamic teachings. The demolition was part of a broader campaign by the regime against non-Islamic artifacts.123

Despite widespread international condemnation and pleas from the United Nations and various Muslim-majority countries to preserve the statues, the Taliban used explosives and artillery to destroy them over several weeks. This act of cultural destruction is widely recognized as a violation of the principles of protecting shared human heritage, which UNESCO and the international community strive to uphold through the World Heritage site program.13