Daily US Times, Kabul: The US military conducted an air strike against Taliban fighters just days after a peace deal agreement signed between the two sides in Doha.
More surprisingly, the attack was conducted just hours after President Donald Trump said he had a “very good talk” with a leader of the group.
On Saturday, the US signed a deal with the militant group aiming to bring peace to Afghanistan after two decades of war.
But a US forces spokesman said the airstrike on Wednesday was launched in response to Taliban fighters attacking Afghan forces in Helmand province.
Taliban has not made any comment about it. The casualties are not clear yet.
What did the US say?
The latest air strike was the first by the US against the Taliban in 11 days, when a reduction in violence agreement began between the two sides in the lead-up to Saturday’s pact.
Colonel Sonny Leggett, a spokesman for the US Forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement posted on Twitter that it was a “defensive strike” to disrupt an attack on an Afghan National Security Forces checkpoint. ]
He said the US is committed to peace, but have responsibility to defend its Afghan partners.
He said Afghans and the US had complied with their side of the agreement, while the Taliban appeared intent on “squandering” the opportunity.
“We call on the Taliban to stop needless attacks and uphold their commitments. As we have demonstrated, we will defend our partners when required,” he wrote.
What’s in the agreement?
Under the agreement, the US will reduce its forces in Afghanistan to 8,600 in the first 135 days. Allies are also drawing down their forces proportionately.
The deal is a political win for Mr Trump as he can now show that he has brought troops home and started process to end the long lasting Afghan war ahead of the US presidential election in November.
The deal also allows a prisoner swap. By 10 March, some 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 Afghan security force prisoners would be exchanged. Talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government are due to start at that time.
The US will also lift sanctions against the Taliban and will work with the UN to lift its separate sanctions against the group.
Some consider the deal could worsen the situation for women in Afghanistan.
Activist Zahra Husseini expressed her concern, “I don’t trust the Taliban, and remember how they suppressed women when they were ruling.”
“Today is a dark day, and as I was watching the deal being signed, I had this bad feeling that it would result in their return to power rather than in peace,” the 28-year-old told AFP.
