Taliban does not want fighting inside Afghanistan’s cities, says senior leader

The Taliban does not want to engage in fighting with government forces inside Afghanistan’s cities, a senior leader said on Tuesday, AFP reported.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the head of a Taliban commission that oversees government forces who surrender to the insurgents, urged the residents of cities to reach out to them.

“Now that the fighting from mountains and deserts has reached the doors of the cities, Mujahideen [Taliban] don’t want fighting inside the city,” Muttaqi said in a message that was tweeted by a Taliban spokesperson. “It is better… to use any possible channel to get in touch with our invitation and guidance commission,” he said, adding this would “prevent their cities from getting damaged”.

In a separate statement, the insurgent group said that Turkey’s decision to protect the Kabul airport when the United States-led forces leave the country was “reprehensible”, Al Jazeera reported. “The decision…is ill-advised, a violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity and against our national interests,” the group added.

Foreign military forces are due to complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan by August 31. Around 650 United States service members are expected to remain in Kabul to guard Washington’s sprawling diplomatic compound.

Since United States President Joe Biden announced in April that he would pull back troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban have taken…

Read more