KABUL (SW) – The Taliban have warned the U.S. forces in Afghanistan against continuation of air raids.
The Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahed said in a statement the American forces have carried out repeated airstrikes against the ‘Mujahidin of Islamic Emirate’ (Taliban) in Nangarhar and Helmand provinces over the past few days. “These airstrikes have been conducted in non-military zones and the operations are also newly launched’, said Mujahed in a statement.
He warned that if airstrikes and operations in Kandahar are not immediately halted or if airstrikes and operations continue they will be forced to ‘respond seriously’.
Responding to this, the spokesman for U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, Col Sonny Leggett said the U.S. Forces have been clear and consistent in defending Afghan forces against Taliban attacks. “The Taliban’s accusations the US violated the US-TB agreement are false. US Forces have been clear & consistent: We will defend Afghan forces against TB attacks. We renew our call for all sides to reduce violence”, he tweeted.
He stressed the Taliban’s campaign of unclaimed attacks and targeted killings of government officials, civil society leaders and journalists must also cease for peace to succeed.
This followed a statement by State Mike Pompeo in which the US Secretary of State called for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. “Our mission in Afghanistan is to eliminate Al-Qaeda and threats to the American homeland. Don’t need 10s of 1,000s of U.S. troops on the ground to do that. We have partners: brave Afghans, @NATO forces. We also have the ability to project power from afar”, the US Secretary of State said in a series of tweets.
This comes a day ahead of the resumption of intra-Afghan peace talks in the Qatari capital, Doha in the wake of a surging targeted assassinations and blasts.
ENDS
