Updated June 5th, 2020 at 20:03 IST
US forces conducted first airstrikes against Taliban since Eid ceasefire: Spokesperson
The US conducted its first airstrikes against the Taliban on June 4 since a rare three-day Eid ceasefire announced by the insurgent group and Afghan forces.
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The United States conducted two airstrikes against the Taliban on June 4, the first since a rare three-day ceasefire was announced by the insurgent group and Afghan forces ahead of Eid. Colonel Sonny Leggett, a spokesperson for the US forces in Afghanistan (USFOR-A), tweeted that the attack was launched to disrupt the coordinated attack by the Taliban on Afghan national security forces (ANDSF).
USFOR-A conducted 2 airstrikes on June 4 to disrupt coord. TB attacks on ANDSF checkpoints, IAW the US-TB agrmt. We reiterate: All sides must reduce violence to allow the peace process to take hold. These were the 1st US airstrikes against TB since the start of the Eid ceasefire
— USFOR-A Spokesman Col Sonny Leggett (@USFOR_A)
Col Legget said that USFOR-A conducted an airstrike against 25 armed Taliban fighters who were executing a coordinated attack on Afghan forces in Farah province. The spokesperson added that another strike was to counter the attack of Taliban fighters on ANDSF checkpoint in Kandahar Province. He called on all sides to reduce the violence to let the peace process take hold.
UN report on Taliban-al Qaeda ties
Recently, a UN report said that the ties between the Taliban, especially its Haqqani network branch, and al Qaeda remain close even after a peace deal signed with the United States. The report claimed that the Taliban regularly consulted with al Qaeda during negotiations with the United States and offered guarantees that it would honour their historical ties.
Read: Afghanistan Government Releases 100 Taliban Prisoners During 3-day Eid Ceasefire
The independent UN sanctions monitors said that the ties stemmed from friendship, intermarriage, shared struggle and ideological sympathy. The report suggested that the success of the US-Taliban agreement may depend upon the Islamic fundamentalist group’s willingness to encourage al Qaeda to put a stop to its current activities in Afghanistan.
The US-Taliban pact was weaved around American troops withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s promise to not let al Qaeda use Afghan soil for activities threatening the security of the US. The report said that if the Taliban honoured the pact, it may prompt a split between pro- and anti-al-Qaeda camps.
Read: Afghan President Pledges To 'expedite' Release Of Taliban Prisoners Amid Eid Ceasefire
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Published June 5th, 2020 at 20:03 IST