Taliban deny claims Russia paid militants to hit US troops

The Taliban has denied US media reports claiming a Russian intelligence unit secretly rewarded them for targeting American troops in Afghanistan.

“We have heard these reports and they are false and baseless,” Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said in a statement on Saturday.

He added that the group had “neither sought nor received any aid from any country or intelligence agency in 19 years of war.”

Mujahid said the Taliban lack advanced weaponry to carry out sophisticated attacks on US targets, which he said is proof they have not received foreign arms.

“We have used whatever resources we have had in Afghanistan, or prepared, for example, road and car bombs from explosives and materials

HIGHLIGHT

The group has received no help from any country or spy agency in 19 years of war, says Mujahid.