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Taliban Announces Launch of Annual Spring Offensive
The Taliban insurgent group on Wednesday announced the launch of its spring offensive under the name of “Al-Khandaq”.
Operation Al-Khandaq – named after a famous seventh century battle in Medina in which Muslim fighters defeated “infidel” invaders.
In a statement released online on April 25, the militant group said the offensive will be focused on killing and capturing Americans and their supporters, using “new and intricate tactics”.
The Taliban said the offensive was partly a response to US President Donald Trump’s new strategy for Afghanistan, which gave US forces more authority to go after insurgents.
Apparently, the new offensive is a rejection to President Ashraf Ghani’s unprecedented peace offer to the group.
Without mentioning the Kabul government peace proposal, the statement added that the presence of American bases “sabotages all chances of peace”.
Earlier, Taliban requested for direct peace talks with the US, but Washington denied any talks with the group unless it engages with Afghan government.