Mullah Mansour’s killing: US says will carry out strikes to remove terrorists

WASHINGTON: The United States of America has asserted that the US do respect Pakistan’s territorial integrity, but it will carry out strikes to remove terrorists who are actively pursuing, planning and directing attacks against US forces.

In a media briefing, Mark C. Toner, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson, said, “We certainly do respect Pakistan’s territorial integrity, but as we’ve said before, we will carry out strikes to remove terrorists who are actively pursuing, planning and directing attacks against US forces.”

To a question whether Pakistan responded or protested against the drone strike in which Afghan Taliban leader Mulla Akhtar Mansour was killed, Mark Toner said, “I’d refer you to the Pakistani Government to tell – to say whether they responded or not. I don’t have any readout to provide or anything like that.”

The deputy spokesman maintained US has been in touch with Pakistani government. “We’ve talked about this airstrike. We continue to talk to them about how we can collaborate and cooperate on rooting out these terrorist organizations and these organizations or these groups that continue to use Pakistan’s territory to carry out attacks.”

To another question what impact Mansour’s killing has on the Taliban itself, Toner said, “It would send a clear message that if you’re going to carry out attacks, if you’re going to lead attacks against US and Afghan forces– then you’re going to be targeted and you’re not going to have safe haven.”

“And it also sends the message that the Taliban must decide what its future is going to be and whether it’s going to be part of a peaceful political future for Afghanistan. And there is a path towards that. They can sit down with the Afghan Government and begin negotiations and talks. We’ve encouraged that; we support an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led process.”