Trump vows to hit Taliban ‘harder’ than ever as US marks 9/11

NEW YORK: US President Donald Trump pledged to hit the Taliban “harder” than ever as America marked the 18th anniversary on Wednesday of the 9/11 attacks that led the country into war in Afghanistan.

Trump spoke after aborting what would have been a historic peace summit and as relatives remembered the victims of the single deadliest attack on US soil at ceremonies in New York and Washington.

After a solemn commemoration at Ground Zero in Manhattan, Trump spoke at a Pentagon event honouring the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks — announcing an unprecedented escalation of the military assault on the Taliban.

He said that over “the last four days” US forces have “hit our enemy harder than they have ever been hit before and that will continue.” The nature of the offensive was not immediately clear but Trump said it was ordered after he cancelled do business with them accountable.

“These new tools aid our unrelenting efforts to cut off terrorists from their sources of support and deprive them of the funds required to carry out their destructive activities. They serve as a powerful deterrent to radical terror groups and those seeking to aid their nefarious goals.”