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Taliban warns peace deal at risk amid ‘repeated violations’ by US airstrikes

07 April 2020 01:03 (UTC +04:00)

The Afghan Taliban militant group has warned that the peace deal signed with Washington in Doha, Qatar, is at severe risk by “repeated violations” of that agreement in the form of US airstrikes. However, the Pentagon has denied its responsibility for the attacks.

A Taliban spokesperson told Spanish news agency EFE in Kabul on Sunday that the peace deal signed with the US in February and adopted in early March was placed at serious risk by US airstrikes against the militant group, as well as the failure of the Afghan government to live up to promises made by Washington.

"We seriously ask the American side to respect the provisions of the agreement and encourage its allies too to fully respect the provisions of the agreement," the Taliban said, according to the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS).

"If such violations continue, it will develop an atmosphere of distrust and will not only harm the agreement, but will force Mujahidins [Taliban fighters] to react and respond that will increase the level of violence" in the country, the statement continued.

The statement named "several evident violations" of the Doha peace accord, including in southern Helmand, Kandahar, western Farah, northern Kunduz, Badakhshan, Balkh and eastern Nangarhar and Paktia provinces, APA reports quoting Sputnik

However, the group also noted that it did not sign a peace agreement with the Afghan Security Forces, with whom it has continued to exchange fire even as the grounds for peace talks with Kabul become shakier by the day.

"As per the signed agreement, until there is a separate agreement with the Afghan sides [government] and a comprehensive ceasefire is agreed upon, until that time the Islamic Emirate can carry out attacks against all military facilities and bases of the Kabul administration, both in urban and rural area[s]," the Taliban statement said.

US Army Col. Sonny Leggett, the spokesperson for US Forces - Afghanistan (USFOR-A), tweeted on Sunday that US forces have continued to uphold their end of the agreement, adding that “any assertion otherwise is baseless. USFOR-A has been clear - we will defend our ANDSF [Afghan National Defense and Security Forces] partners if attacked, in compliance with the agreement.”