Published 15:32 IST, April 20th 2020
Taliban accuses US of 'violating' peace agreement, provides numbers to back claim: Reports
In the latest development after the US and Taliban signed peace deal, the militant group has shared a list of at least 50 attacks carried by US, Afghan troops.
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After the US and Taliban signed the peace deal, the militant group has shared a list of at least 50 attacks carried by American troops and Afghan forces accusing them of 'violating' the terms in the treaty. Taliban shared a three-page document only with TOLO News on April 19 to back their claims with substantial information. The Taliban political office in Doha has claimed that at least 33 drone attacks have been directed by the US against the targets of the extremist group in 19 provinces between March 9 and April 10.
According to reports, the document by the Taliban also included an additional list of nine attacks that involved rockets and mortar shellings and eight night-raids. Overall, at least 17 US strikes have killed 35 fighters of the group according to the Taliban and they even hold American forces accountable for the death of 65 civilians in 33 other incidents. This is apparently also the first time that the Taliban provided numbers to back their accusations on the United States, adding yet another turn to the complicated relations between both the sides.
‘All sides must reduce violence’
While reacting to the claims by Taliban, top US general in Afghanistan, Gen Scott Miller told an international news outlet that ‘all sides, but especially Taliban must reduce violence’ in a bid to attain full ceasefire. US officials have reportedly also claimed that they ‘remain committed’ to the peace deal signed with the Taliban. Reports have even suggested that the Taliban apparently carried out over 2,000 attacks since February 22, when the one-week reduction of violence had begun. Meanwhile, Afghan Defense Minister Assadullah Khalid has also told an international news outlet that Afghanistan is ‘acting defensive’ only to give the peace treaty ‘a chance’.
Even though the ‘momentous’ peace deal between the US and Taliban was signed in February, the progress on negotiations with Afghanistan and the militant group has been delayed by the feud among country’s politicians. Some other reasons for the delay were also the disagreements between the Taliban and government over preconditions for talks included in the US-Taliban deal stating the release of group’s prisoners in Afghanistan.
15:42 IST, April 20th 2020