Taliban’s No. 2 denies role in Kabul bombing
KABUL: The Taliban’s second in command and head of the militant Haqqani network has denied any involvement in recent deadly attacks in Kabul and western Afghanistan.
In an audio message sent late Sunday by a Taliban spokesman, Sirajuddin Haqqani condemned the suicide truck bombing in Kabul on May 31 that killed at least 150 people, which was followed by more suicide attacks during a funeral and a bombing near a mosque in Herat province.
Afghan security officials have accused the Haqqani network of being behind the attack in Kabul. But Sirajuddin Haqqani insisted that none of the three attacks were planned by the Taliban and that the Taliban does not plan attacks in which civilians are harmed.
No one has claimed responsibility for any of the attacks.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last week confirmed the death toll from the massive suicide truck bombing in Kabul had surpassed 150, making it the deadliest single attack in the 16 years since the US campaign to defeat the Taliban. More than 300 others were wounded in the bombing.
Afghan authorities have alleged that the Pakistani government was involved — charges denied by Islamabad. The two countries have often accused each other of turning a blind eye to militants operating along their porous border.
The Taliban has steadily expanded its reach since the US and international forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014.
Haqqani said in the audio message that while the Taliban was not involved in the recent attacks, its fighters will continue to wage war until all “foreign invaders” have withdrawn from Afghanistan.