Taliban’s spokesperson Soheil Shahin has said if Western troops who do not leave Afghanistan are considered occupiers.
Taliban’s spokesperson Soheil Shahin has said if Western troops who do not leave Afghanistan are considered occupiers.
The Taliban say any foreign troops who do not leave Afghanistan by the agreed deadline for Western troops to leave the country will be considered an “occupational force” and are occupiers.
Taliban spokesman Sohail Shahin told the BBC that the Taliban were not seeking military occupation of Kabul but that no foreign troops, including military contractors, should remain in the city.
“If their troops remain in Afghanistan contrary to the Doha agreement, then our leaders will decide what to do,” Shaheen said.
“We will react and the final decision is with the Taliban leadership,” he said.
Following the withdrawal of US troops from Bagram Air Base near Kabul and the end of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, there have been reports of the continued presence of some 1,000 US troops, mostly Americans.
The purpose of the continued presence of these troops in Afghanistan is to protect the embassies of NATO member countries and Kabul International Airport.
As Western troops continue to withdraw from Afghanistan, military violence has escalated and the Taliban are expanding into areas under their control.
In the interview, Shaheen said the Taliban opposed the continued presence of foreign troops but would not attack diplomats, NGO members and other foreign nationals.
“Our people need the work of NGOs and embassies,” Shahin said. ”
Soheil Shahin also described the withdrawal of US troops from Bagram as a historic moment.
Under an agreement between the Taliban and the United States, US and NATO troops will withdraw from Afghanistan, and in return the Taliban has pledged not to allow al-Qaeda and other extremist groups to operate in areas under its control.
