Taliban says it condemns ‘barbaric attacks in the strongest terms’.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) – Taliban on Friday issued a stern warning against the recent US airstrikes and threatened to retaliate a day after Pentagon confirmed targeting the insurgents, weeks ahead of the complete departure from Afghanistan.
The group issued a strongly-worded statement on its propaganda platforms against the strikes, which described as “barbaric”.
“American ‘occupation forces’ carried out airstrikes in Kandahar province and some parts of Helmand province of Afghanistan last night, as a result of which civilians and some ‘Mujahideen’ [Taliban] were killed and wounded,” read the statement.
That came a day after Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters that in the last several days, the US have “acted through airstrikes” to support the ANDSF (Afghan National Defense and Security Forces).
The armed Taliban insurgents have been advancing on across Afghanistan, capturing nearly 200 districts since US President Joe Biden unveiled his exit strategy.
“The Islamic Emirate [Taliban] condemns these barbaric attacks in the strongest terms. It is a clear violation of the signed agreement that will have consequences”, said the insurgent group while referring to the Doha agreement with the US that paved the way for American withdrawal initially by September this year.
The Taliban also expressed their apprehensions regarding Afghan president Mohammed Ashraf Ghani’s recent remarks on bringing peace and order in the coming six months.
“The Islamic Emirate [Taliban] also warns that in the next six months, the responsibility for any military transformation will fall to the leaders of the Kabul administration [Afghan government], the ‘Mujahideen’ of the Islamic Emirate [Taliban] will strongly defend their territories and the war by the enemy will continue. In that case, the Islamic Emirate will not remain on the defensive”, said the group.