Kabul: At least 579 Taliban militants have been killed in airstrikes by US and Afghan forces in the past 24 hours. The death toll of Taliban militants due to the airstrikes is rising by the day, fuelling backlash from the militant group. In an interview with a Gulf news channel, a Taliban spokesman threatened the US and Afghan governments over the airstrikes. The Taliban has indirectly acknowledged that the airstrikes caused heavy casualties.
Last week, the Taliban had seized control of Sheberghan, the capital of Afghanistan’s northern Jawzjan province. According to Afghan Defence Ministry Spokesman Fawad Aman, at least 200 Taliban militants were killed in an airstrike in the Sheberghan town two days ago by a US B-52 Stratofortress bomber. At the same time, the airstrikes also destroyed more than a hundred Taliban vehicles and large weapons. However, the US action appears to have angered the Taliban.
The Taliban spokesman did not declare how many terrorists were killed in the US and Afghan airstrikes. Nevertheless, the Taliban has accused the United States of interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs with the airstrikes. The Taliban spokesman also threatened to step up attacks in Afghanistan, saying no ceasefire was reached between the Taliban and President Ghani’s government. Simultaneously, the Taliban spokesman criticized the Afghan government for escalating tensions by launching airstrikes in more than 15 provinces.
The US and the Afghan government have not responded to the Taliban’s threat. However, reports state the US and Afghan forces have intensified attacks on the Taliban in the past 24 hours. Fierce fighting is ongoing between the Taliban and the Afghan army in Balkh and Takhar provinces in northern Afghanistan. Besides, the United States is claimed to have also used B-52 bombers, AC-130 gunship, F-15 and F-16 fighter jets to carry out attacks on Taliban sites.
The US airstrikes on the Taliban have drawn criticism from Pakistan. Pakistani diplomats and journalists have accused the United States of violating the Doha deal by launching airstrikes on the Taliban. Pakistan media have begun putting forth the narrative that the Taliban have undergone a significant transformation, but the US and Afghan governments are trying to tarnish their image. On the other hand, some Pakistani reporters have questioned which airspace the United States aircraft was using to launch attacks on the Taliban.
Meanwhile, the Taliban militants occupying Afghan cities and districts are brutally killing journalists and human rights activists. Toofan Omari, Editor-in-chief of Afghanistan’s Paktia Ghag radio station, was assassinated. In addition, the Taliban kidnapped journalist Naimatullah Hemat. These events have convinced the international community that the Taliban is a terrorist organization despite Pakistan’s efforts.
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