US launches air strikes to support Afghan forces
KABUL: The United States has carried out air strikes to support Afghan government forces who have been under pressure from the Taliban as Us-led foreign forces carry out the final stages of their withdrawal from the country.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday the air strikes were in support of Afghan security forces in recent days but did not provide details.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes were on Wednesday night on the outskirts of the southern city of Kandahar, killing three of their fighters and destroying two vehicles.
“We confirm these air strikes and we condemn this in strongest term, it is a clear atack and violation of the Doha deal as they can’t have operations ater May,” he said, referring to an agreement between the United States and the Taliban clearing the way for the withdrawal of US forces.
“If they conduct any operation then they will be responsible for the consequences.” Reuters could not immediately reach a spokesperson for US forces in Afghanistan to confirm the time and location of the strikes.
The defence ministry said on Friday that the Taliban’s claim to hold 90 per cent of Afghanistan’s borders is an “absolute lie.” The ministry insisted that the government forces were in control of the country’s frontiers. “It is baseless propaganda,” deputy spokesman of the Ministry of Defence Fawad Aman said, a day ater the insurgents made the claim, which was not possible to independently verify.
Aman insisted government forces were in control of the country’s borders and all “main cities and highways.” “Afghan security forces will soon take revenge on these wild terrorists,” interior ministry spokesman Mirwais Stanekzai said on Twiter.
“The Taliban whenever they get control (of territory), the first thing they do is destroy public facilities or public infrastructure, harass people and forcefully displace families,” Aman said.
“It happened in Spin Boldak too.” Meanwhile, a senior Russian diplomat said, Moscow will help its ally Tajikistan build a new outpost on the Tajik-afghan border.
“An intergovernmental agreement is now being prepared for signing on the provision of aid to Tajikistan for the construction of a border outpost,” Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko told RIA news agency late on Thursday.
Russia operates a military base in Tajikistan, a fellow ex-soviet republic, whose government has expressed concern about the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan.