US threat over bounties

TOP Pentagon officials pledged to “take action” if the US military could corroborate intelligence suggesting Moscow paid militants linked to the Taliban to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan.

General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defence Secretary Mark Esper spoke as the Trump administration comes under pressure to explain reports claiming the president was briefed on the intelligence – but did nothing in response.

Milley said the information was “not corroborated”.

“We’ll get to the bottom of it. We are going to find out if, in fact, it’s true. And if it is true, we will take action,” he said.