Taliban issue contradictory statements

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: The Taliban group in Afghanistan continues to issue contradictory statements as airstrikes continue to gain momentum, mainly targeting the financial resources of the group.

The Taliban group has issued two contradictory statements for a single incident involving airstrike in southeastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan.

Mujahid in a statement said the Mi-25 choppers supplied by India targeted a mosque in Deh Yak district, leaving a civilian wounded.

However, Muajahid issued another statement claiming that the target of the airstrike was a hospital that wounded a civilian.

This comes as the commander of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission and the US forces in Afghanistan Gen. John Nicholson says the attacks on Taliban financial engine will continue as heavy losses have been inflicted on the group and its associated in recent raids.

Speaking to reporters in Pentagon via video teleconference, Gen. Nicholson said operations under the new permissions have already begun, as Afghan and coalition forces struck the source of the Taliban’s finances: the narcotics trade.

“In just over three days’ worth of operations, the Afghan 215th Corps, their special forces commandos, their air force, in close cooperation with US forces, removed between $7 million and $10 million of revenue from the Taliban’s pocketbook,” Gen. Nicholson said.