Taliban warn US-led forces against extending their stay in Afghanistan

The Taliban on Saturday warned US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan not to extend their “occupation” beyond May as the insurgent group categorically denied it violated February 29, 2020 Doha accord.

Taliban, in a detailed statement, listed a number of steps they took to implement the Doha agreement. The statement came just days before the meeting of NATO defence ministers, where the US would present its plan for the future of Afghanistan.

"Our message to the upcoming NATO ministerial meeting is that the continuation of occupation and war is neither in your interest nor in the interest of your and our people," the Taliban said in a statement.

"Anyone seeking extension of wars and occupation will be held liable for it just like the previous two decades."

Last year, Former US president Donald Trump struck a deal with the Taliban last year under which United States agreed to withdraw troops from the war-torn county by May 2021 in return for conditions including cutting ties with Al-Qaeda and opening peace talks with the Kabul government.

However, Joe Biden's administration has said it would review the deal, with the Pentagon accusing the Afghan insurgent group of not meeting their commitment to reduce violence.

Taliban in turn has accused the US of breaching the agreement and instated it will continue its "fight and jihad" if foreign troops do not leave by May.

“The Islamic Emirate (Afghan Taliban) on its part is seriously committed to its implementation, has taken effective steps in this regard, and also wants the other side to stringently implement the accord,” the statement said.

“The Islamic Emirate has significantly decreased the level of operations, and in breaking with past practice, no annual spring offensive was announced or launched the previous year. That no district headquarters were conquered in succession like the years past, no numerous and complex attacks targeted the enemy in major cities, nor were plans sketched for the takeover of cities, if this does not constitute a reduction in violence than what does?”

It further said: “This is even before we reach any kind of an agreement with the internal opposition about ending operations against their military personnel. On the other hand, fighting which has occurred is mostly cases where our Mujahideen have been forced to defend their areas, or where the public has been safeguarded from harmful check posts, or where gunmen that extorted passenger vehicles and supply trucks on main highways were suppressed.”