US to take strict action if terrorists regrouping in Afghanistan

During the regular State Department press briefing, Spokesperson Ned Price was asked about the rise of violence and the regrouping of terrorists in Afghanistan.

Ned Price said the Taliban were either unable or unwilling to live up to the commitments that they’ve made in a number of areas. One of those areas was the commitment they had made to counterterrorism.

However, they have capabilities when it comes to counterterrorism in the region that does not leave them entirely beholden to the Taliban, he added.

“We demonstrated those capabilities in recent months with the killing of the now-deceased al-Qaida emir, Ayman al-Zawahiri, making good on the pledge that you have consistently heard from President Biden since the withdrawal of military forces from Afghanistan last year.”

America will take action if it sees international terrorists regrouping in Afghanistan. It will take action in a way that protects its interests.

Commenting over the recent attack on the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul, he said, “Our broader goal is to see that terrorists and others aren’t able to use Afghanistan as a launch pad for attacks on Pakistan.”

He said, “We have seen other groups are also active. You mentioned the TTP, among others. We are determined to work with our partners in the region, including Pakistan, to do what we can to take on the threat of terrorism in the region, and certainly the threat of terrorism that extends well beyond the region.”

“Pakistan is an important partner in a number of respects. We value that bilateral relationship. We welcome opportunities to expand cooperation in areas that are of mutual interest to us and to Pakistan. That, of course, does include when it comes to counterterrorism.”