As the deadline of the US drawdown from Afghanistan draws near, a senior member of the Taliban has stressed that the group has been continuing to urge the Washington States to honour a peace deal struck by the two sides in February 2020.
Suhail Shaheen told NHK in an interview that the Taliban have been continuing negotiations with US officials behind the scenes.
Shaheen, who is the spokesperson for the Taliban's political office, said the peace deal called for the US to work toward the release of all remaining Taliban prisoners, and the removal of UN sanctions on senior Taliban members.
As clashes continue and intensify, hundreds more have taken up arms against the Taliban in support of the government forces, in several provinces throughout the country, TOLOnews reported.
Those who took up arms in Herat, Patkia, Ghor and Kunduz, said they will not allow their villages to fall to the Taliban who they claim would damage the country's infrastructure.
The Afghan presidential spokesperson Latif Mahmoud said recent moves in the last few weeks are in favour of the Afghan Republic. "The people of Afghanistan, by supporting the security and defense forces and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, joined the united umbrella of the Republic," Mahmoud said.
The Afghan Defense Ministry assured that the mobilization of the people in support of the security and defense forces has had a considerable role in retaking territories, especially in the north, and has prevented the fall of some areas.
Meanwhile, the Taliban warned those who have taken up arms and said that they will not be forgiven.
After the meeting between US President Joe Biden, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah, the White House on Friday announced a series of measures to provide assistance to the South Asian country amid troop withdrawal.
Biden had earlier announced that the US will start its final withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan on May 1 and complete its pullout ahead of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The withdrawal could be well ahead of the deadline.
( With inputs from ANI )
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