US Airstrikes Violate Doha Agreement, May Prompt Taliban Reaction - Spokesman

Umer Jamshaid Published January 12, 2021 | 04:16 PM

The United States should work to ensure that airstrikes conducted in Afghanistan are done so in a controlled manner to avoid violating the February peace deal reached with the Taliban, also known as the Doha agreement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Sputnik in an interview, adding that the radical movement may be forced to react in the event of further violations

KABUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) The United States should work to ensure that airstrikes conducted in Afghanistan are done so in a controlled manner to avoid violating the February peace deal reached with the Taliban, also known as the Doha agreement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Sputnik in an interview, adding that the radical movement may be forced to react in the event of further violations.

"We have made it clear to them and we are still saying that if the operation continues in violation and in an intentional manner, of course, we will be forced to react, and this is a provocative act," Mujahid stated.

Since the deal was signed, the Taliban on multiple occasions have accused the US of violating the Doha peace accord. Back in December, the insurgent organization claimed that US airstrikes in Kandahar province caused the deaths of 12 civilians, and Mujahid said that the Taliban have made their demands clear to their US counterparts.

"We have seriously told them that they should control the bombings," the Taliban spokesman said.

The insurgent organization stands ready to hold consultations with Washington to discuss the US military operation in Afghanistan, Mujahid added.

"We have a channel to start serious discussions with the Americans on this matter," the Taliban spokesman said.

Representatives from the United States and the Taliban concluded a peace agreement on February 29 in the Qatari capital. The accord paved the way for the beginning of intra-Afghan peace negotiations this past September, following the completion of a lengthy prisoner exchange process.

US military spokesman in Afghanistan Col. Sonny Leggett has issued multiple denials of the Taliban's claims that the United States is violating the terms of the Doha agreement.