Taliban has not severed ties with al-Qaeda: Afghan Army chief

Kabul: There is not even a slight difference in the relations between the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Taliban continues to cooperate with all the other terrorist organisations from Pakistan. Afghan Army Chief Lieutenant General Yasin Zia accused that the Taliban has violated the peace deal signed with the United States by continuing to maintain ties with the Al Qaeda and Pakistani terror groups. This reaction was received from him after the killing of Al Qaeda leader, Mohsen Al-Masri, the second in command in Al Qaeda, in the Indian subcontinent.

Last week, the Afghan special forces killed Al-Masri, a senior leader of Al Qaeda and a close confidante of Al Qaeda leader Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri. The killing of Al-Masri, one of the most wanted for the United States and one who had prior knowledge of the 9/11 attacks, was a significant achievement for the Afghan forces. It has been reported that even the United States has confirmed the report. Following the action against Al-Masri, the cooperation between Taliban, Al Qaeda and other Pakistani terrorist organisations has been exposed once again.

Afghan Army Chief Lieutenant General Yasin Zia made an open accusation that the Taliban is still taking cooperation of Al Qaeda and the terrorist organisation Haqqani Network from Pakistan. To substantiate his claim, Army Chief Zia drew attention to the conflict in the Helmand province. Two weeks ago, a fierce conflict was sparked between the Afghan forces and Taliban in the Helmand province. Army Chief Zia reminded that it had been exposed that the Taliban and Pakistan based terrorist organisations were fighting in an alliance against the Afghan forces.

Army Chief Zia accused that these terrorists who have escaped from Pakistan are fighting hidden wars for the Taliban. This expose of the Taliban ties with the Pakistan based terrorist organisations amounts to a violation of the Taliban-US peace deal. The United States had signed a peace deal with the Taliban on 29th February. In this agreement, the Taliban had assured the United States that it would sever all ties with all the terrorist organisations. But Lieutenant General Yasin Zia accused that the Taliban has betrayed the United States by continuing with their relations with Al Qaeda and other Pakistani terrorist organisations.