Afghan army chief says no deals with any country over Bagram

KABUL (Ariana News): Fasihuddin Fitrat, Afghanistan’s Chief of Army Staff, has stated that the Islamic Emirate will not engage in any form of negotiation regarding Bagram Airfield – with any country, including the United States.

In an interview with a local media outlet, Fitrat emphasized that the presence of even a single foreign soldier anywhere on Afghan soil is unacceptable to the Islamic Emirate.

Fitrat said: “Now that we are conducting military parades at Bagram—a base they had high hopes for—and our division is stationed there, and it is fully under our control, some have become envious and are spreading rumors that the Islamic Emirate is ready to negotiate over this base. We assure the Muslim nation of Afghanistan that we will not enter into any deal with the U.S. or any other country on this matter.”

He also stressed that there are no destructive or threatening groups operating within Afghanistan against any other country, and that Afghan territory does not pose a threat to any nation. He added that such negative narratives are often promoted by those opposed to the Islamic Emirate.

“There should be no concerns arising from Afghanistan. Claims about the presence of destructive groups here are part of a smear campaign by those who aim to weaken the Islamic Emirate and create concerns among our people and neighboring countries,” he said.

On the structure of the army, Fitrat stated that the current number of personnel stands at between 150,000 and 200,000 and could be increased if needed. He also mentioned that new uniforms would soon be distributed to the army.

Fitrat further added that efforts are ongoing to return Afghan military aircraft that were transferred to neighboring countries following the political changes.

He stressed that the Islamic Emirate will never relinquish this national asset belonging to the people of Afghanistan. According to him, while the United States has put forward certain demands in this regard, the Islamic Emirate does not accept them.