The Taliban warned the United States of consequences if America did not stop flying drones over Afghan airspace.
“The US has violated all international rights and laws as well as its commitments made to the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, with the operation of these drones in Afghanistan,” the Taliban government’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement on Twitter today.
“Countries, under international laws, are the sole owners of their territorial and air sovereignty. Therefore, Islamic Emirate, as the sole legal entity of Afghanistan, is the custodian of Afghanistan’s land and airspace,” he explained.
“We call on all countries, especially United States, to treat Afghanistan in light of international rights, laws and commitments in order to prevent any negative consequences.”
US strikes on civilians
Last month, the Taliban took over Kabul and announced an interim government in September after the US troops left the country on August 31, ending a military and diplomatic mission that began soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
On August 29, the US military targeted a humanitarian worker’s, Zamari Ahmadi, vehicle in a drone strike inside his home in Kabul. He was suspected of having ties to ISIS/Daesh-Khorasan.
On September 17, the US acknowledged that the airstrike resulted in the deaths of 10 civilians, including an aid worker and up to seven children.
“We now assess that it is unlikely that the vehicle and those who died were associated with ISIS-K, or were a direct threat to US forces,” said Central Command head Gen. Frank McKenzie, who had earlier claimed that Ahmadi had connections with Daesh/ISIS-K.
