Pentagon: no need to coordinate airstrikes with Taliban

KABUL: A day after the Taliban’s remarks over demanding compensation from countries involved in fighting in Afghanistan, the US Department of Defense press secretary John Kirby on Saturday said the United States does need to coordinate counter-terrorism airstrikes in Afghanistan.

Kirby at a press conference said the United States needs to carry out air attacks on insurgents in Afghanistan, and there is no need to talk with the Taliban about the strikes. “We retain all necessary authorities to execute over the horizon counterterrorism operations and we remain confident in these capabilities moving forward without speaking to specific rules of engagement surrounding airstrikes. There is currently no requirement to clear airspace with the Taliban and we do not expect that any future over the horizon counterterrorism strikes would hinge on such a clearance,” he said.

Officials from the Cultural Commission of the Ministry of Information and Cultural meanwhile said the United States should not intervene anymore in Afghanistan. “We expect the United States to not make irresponsible remarks.They conducted an airstrike in Kabul and killed civilians including children,” said Javad Sar, a member of the commission. On August 29, the US carried out an airstrike in Kabul claiming to have targeted Daesh fighters while later it was discovered that the victims were civilians. The Pentagon later apologized for the attack.