The Taliban on Friday accused the US of “bombarding civilians” in violation of the Afghan peace deal. The comments came after the US said the Taliban was “not meeting their commitments” under the deal.
“The other side has violated the agreement, almost every day they are violating it,” Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem told AFP. “They are bombarding civilians, houses, and villages, and we have informed them from time to time, these are not just violations of the agreement but violations of human rights.”
Under the US-Taliban peace deal that was signed in February 2020, both signatories agreed not to directly attack each other. Since the deal was signed, the US has occasionally bombed the Taliban, usually framing the strikes as defensive in nature. But overall, US airstrikes in Afghanistan have declined.
However, airstrikes from the US-backed Afghan Air Force (AAF) have significantly escalated. Earlier in January, AAF airstrikes pounded homes in Afghanistan’s Nimroz province, killing 18 civilians.
There are currently 2,500 US troops in Afghanistan. The US-Taliban peace deal paved the way for a complete US withdrawal from Afghanistan by Spring 2021. But chances of the withdrawal being followed through by the Biden administration seem slim. The Pentagon announced on Thursday that the withdrawal date is now uncertain.
Agreement
PART ONE
F. The United States and its allies will refrain from the threat or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan or intervening in its domestic affairs. . .here