Thirteen Taliban fighters were killed by an airstrike in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, the provincial press office said on Monday.
Among them was a Taliban leader who was recently released under the US-brokered peace deal with the Afghan government, as confirmed by the Afghan National Directorate of Security.
Last February, the Taliban and the Afghan government reached a landmark agreement, mediated by the United States in the Qatari capital of Doha, paving the way for peace talks. Among other things, the deal stipulated the release of each other’s prisoners — 5,000 Taliban by Kabul and 1,000 government affiliates by the radical group.
Taliban fighters were also targeted by Afghan forces in Arghandab ditrict of Kandahar.
The Taliban have released a statement alleging that the attacks on its fighters were against the Doha agreement.
Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesperson of the Afghan Taliban, said that Afghan forces are aided by US fighter jets. “If such attacks are not immediately stopped we will have no options but to counter-attack,” the statement read.