Taliban warn US of 'bad consequences' over violation of Afghan airspace

The Taliban-ruled Afghan government has warned Washington that there would be “bad consequences” if the US-operated unmanned drones continued the violation of the country’s airspace.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said in a statement on Tuesday that the country’s airspace has been occupied by the American drones, calling on the administration of US President Joe Biden to refrain from committing a breach of international norms and the peace accord signed between Washington and the Taliban in the Qatari capital of Doha.

"The United States of America has recently violated all international laws and the Doha Agreement, with our airspace being occupied by their drones. These violations must be stopped and prevented, in order to prevent bad consequences," the statement read.

The Taliban stressed that the world countries are the sole owners of the territorial and air sovereignty of their states under the international law, “therefore, the Islamic Emirate, as the sole legal entity of Afghanistan, is the guardian of Afghanistan’s land and airspace.”

The statement called on the international community to perform in view of “mutual commitments” and “commitments to Afghanistan.”

The Taliban’s warning came as the United States is reportedly going to increase its drone surveillance and strikes in Afghanistan despite formally pulling out troops after implementing a policy of death and destruction for twenty years.

US likely to accelerate drone war in Afghanistan

The United States is reportedly going to increase its drone surveillance and strikes in Afghanistan despite formally pulling out troops after implementing a policy of death and destruction for twenty years.

According to the US media, Biden has asked his top military commanders to carry out more drone strikes in Afghanistan on the pretext of counter-terrorism operations.

The US military on Friday admitted killing 10 Afghan civilians in a drone strike last month. Washington had previously claimed that those who killed were terrorists.

The Pentagon had maintained the August 29 strike targeted a Daesh-K terrorist who posed an imminent threat to American troops at the Kabul airport, with Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley calling it a "righteous strike.”

General Frank McKenzie, the top general of US Central Command, announced at the Pentagon on Friday that the military investigation has found it killed 10 civilians and the driver and that the vehicle targeted was not a threat associated with Daesh-K, a shadowy terrorist group that emerged following the last month bomb blast at the Kabul airport. 

Sanders: Killing of Afghan civilians in US drone strike 'unacceptable'

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders has denounced the US military drone strike in Afghanistan that killed 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children.

The United States and its NATO allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under the pretext that the Taliban militants were harboring al-Qaeda. The invasion removed the Taliban from power but it worsened the security situation in the country.

The government of Afghanistan rapidly collapsed on August 15 and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country in the face of the lightning advances of the Taliban that followed US President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw American troops in a disastrous pullout.

The Taliban announced the formation of a caretaker government on September 7.

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