US threatens to bomb Taliban to support Afghanistan
The US military will continue airstrikes to support Afghan troops if the Taliban do not end its armed operations, General Frank McKenzie, commander of US Central Command, said at a news conference in Kabul.
“The United States has increased the number of airstrikes in support of Afghan government forces in the past few days, and we are prepared to continue to provide this increased level of support in the coming weeks if the Taliban continue their attacks,” Al Jazeera quoted General McKenzie as saying.
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However, Mr. McKenzie refused to answer when reporters asked whether the US military would continue airstrikes aftercomplete the military mission in Afghanistan by August 31.
On July 24, US President Joe Biden and Afghan leader Ashraf Ghani held talks, in which the two sides agreed that the Taliban's attack went against the movement's statement supporting a political solution in Afghanistan.
Also on that day, the United States, EU member states and NATO called on the Taliban to end armed attacks in Afghanistan and left open the possibility of providing humanitarian aid to areas under their control. The Taliban were asked to ensure the safety of diplomats, journalists, international organizations and airports in the Islamic country.
US troops have been in Afghanistan since 2001, when they were sent there under President George W. Bush. The withdrawal began in early May and is expected to be completed by the end of August.
