The United States said Monday that its forces had carried out airstrikes on Taliban strongholds in central Afghanistan, killing at least five insurgents.
The military spokesman said in a tweet that the operation took place at night in Nerkh district of Wardak province, aimed at protecting Afghan security forces under an agreement reached between the United States and the Taliban in Doha in February. ۔
The United States signed the agreement with the Taliban to end a 19-year war in the region. Under the agreement, 5,000 Taliban prisoners were released, while the Taliban released about 1,000 Afghan soldiers. In the next phase of the agreement, talks were held in Doha between Afghan government representatives and the Taliban.
"We reject allegations of violating the peace agreement and killing innocent Afghan civilians," US military spokesman Karnik Sonny Leggett said in a statement.
He was responding to Taliban allegations that US drone strikes on Sunday night violated the peace agreement. The Taliban also say three students were among those killed.
Earlier this month, the Taliban accused the US military of violating a peace agreement signed on February 29 and dropping bombs outside the war zone.
Under the peace deal, US and NATO forces will leave Afghanistan by May 2021, while the Taliban will not attack foreign forces and will fight terrorism and negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Afghan representatives.
Historic peace talks with the Taliban and Afghan representatives began in Doha, Qatar, on September 12, but no significant progress has been made so far due to differences over the implementation of the procedure.
At a time when the Doha talks are stalled, there have been fierce clashes between the Taliban and Afghan forces in many parts of Afghanistan. Both sides have suffered heavy casualties in these clashes and civilians have also suffered loss of life and property.
On the other hand, ISIS terrorists have also become active. An ISIS suicide bombing in Kabul on Saturday killed at least 24 people and wounded about 60, most of them students.
On Monday, the United Nations reiterated its call for a humanitarian ceasefire in Afghanistan, saying it would enable all parties to fight the global epidemic of the coronavirus and help poor Afghans before the onset of winter. Will be able to deliver humanitarian aid.
