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Taliban denounces U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan

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5 years ago

August 30, 2021

Taliban’s senior leader, Abdul Haq Wasiq, denounced the U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan, describing it as a violation of U.S.-Taliban peace deal, local media reported on Monday.

“The airstrikes inside Afghanistan violated the Doha agreement inked in February last year and ‘America does not have the right to conduct operations in Afghanistan soil,’” Tolo News quoted the official as saying.

Following the deadly terrorist attack on the Kabul airport Thursday evening for which ISIS-K, an affiliate of the Islamic State group active in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility, the U.S. military launched a drone strike in the eastern Nangarhar province on Friday.

In the meantime, Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, told the media that two persons were killed and four others, including two children and two women, were injured in the drone strike.

Mujahid also said the U.S. had to share its intention for the attack with the Taliban before launching it.

According to the Pentagon, the U.S. military on Friday launched a drone strike against the terror group in Nangarhar province of eastern Afghanistan, which killed two “high-profile” members and wounded another, in retaliation for the deadly airport attack.

In addition, U.S. military carried out an airstrike in Kabul on Sunday against a suspected ISIS-K vehicle, which could pose an imminent threat to the airport.

“We are assessing the possibilities of civilian casualties, though we have no indications at this time. We remain vigilant for potential future threats,” U.S. Central Command Spokesman, Bill Urban, said in a statement.

Kabul was under the spell of attacks in recent days.

Following the terrorist attack on the airport on Thursday, which left more than 170 people dead, including 13 U.S. soldiers, six civilians and four children were killed by a rocket fired by unknown militants in Kabul’s Khwaja Bughra neighbourhood on Sunday evening.

Five rockets were also fired early Monday at the airport where the U.S.-led evacuation flights were continuing, witnesses said.