The Taliban have asked the United States to stop operating drones in Afghan airspace, saying it needs to follow obligations to prevent negative consequences, a Sputnik report stated on Tuesday. Terming the US move a breach of national security, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid asked all the nations to act in accordance with mutual obligations.
Mujahid also stated that acting on obligations would prevent negative consequences. “We call on all countries, especially the United States, to act in accordance with mutual obligations … to prevent any negative consequences,” he said in a tweet, according to Sputnik.
The Pentagon had last month said that it will continue to conduct drone strikes against the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) and other terrorist groups operating within the South Asian nation. “We have the capability from an over the horizon perspective of ensuring our national security interests are protected and defended,” said press secretary of Pentagon John Kirby, according to Fox News. “And what I would tell you, without getting into hypotheticals or speculating about future operations, we’re going to continue to maintain those capabilities and use them if and when we need to,” Kirby added.
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan last month and announced its interim government earlier in September. The US troops left Afghanistan on August 31 under the previously agreed Doha deal with the Taliban last year.
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