US says would strike if terror camps found in Afghanistan

DUBAI: The US State Department has stated that the military would strike if terrorist camps were found in Afghanistan.

Speaking to The News, the Urdu spokesperson of the State Department Zed Tarar stated that the US President Joe Biden has said that the US is ready to take immediate action if any terrorist training camps were found in future.

Replying to a question about Afghan government’s allegations against Pakistan for allegedly supporting militants, Zed Tarar stated without mentioning any particular country that Afghan neighbours have a duty not to support militants for the sake of keeping peace in the region. The spokesperson said Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace are very crucial.

Talking about the recent visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to India, the spokesperson said both the countries have a significant partnership in various fields. Zed Tarar said that partnership with India is also very important for peace in Afghanistan, and the US was not only in contact with India, but also with other neighbouring countries of Afghanistan for betterment of the region. He said that the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan did not mean that the US was leaving Afghanistan forsaken.

Zed Tarar made it clear that the US military presence in Afghanistan could not be used for bargaining chip. He reiterated the US commitment that peace in the region can only be achieved through dialogue. Moreover, US State Department spokesman Zed Tarar lamented about the recent clashes between Afghan forces and the Taliban, saying the loss of human lives was unacceptable.

The spokesman said the United States and its allies would not allow Afghanistan to return to the status quo of 2001.

When asked if the Taliban captured Kabul then would the US accept it, Tarar said it was currently an assumption. He warned that the Taliban must stop human rights violations immediately.