Afghanistan’s Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid has said Kabul is working to ensure Pakistan does not again “dare” carry out airstrikes on Afghan territory, as reports emerged that Afghanistan and Russia have reached a military cooperation agreement.
According to a BBC report, Mullah Yaqoob secured Russian support for a modern air defence system for the Taliban government during his recent visit to Moscow.
Sources told the broadcaster that the matter had already been under discussion with Moscow and that practical progress was made after Russia gave assurances during the Afghan defence minister’s visit.
The agreement was reached in Moscow in the presence of Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and Mullah Yaqoob, according to the report.
Sources cited by the BBC said the understanding includes air defence equipment, ground military hardware and training for Taliban government forces. It remains unclear whether the agreement is limited to defensive systems or also includes offensive weapons such as drones.
Mullah Yaqoob had travelled to Moscow last week to attend an international security forum, where representatives from nearly 100 countries were present. A source within the Taliban government told the BBC that preparations for the visit had been made in advance and that a delegation had already been sent to Moscow before the minister’s arrival.
“Interaction with Russia is important for us,” Mullah Yaqoob said after meeting Shoigu at the forum, adding that Afghanistan and Russia had “long-standing and historic relations” and that Kabul wanted to move forward in that direction.
After returning to Kabul, Mullah Yaqoob linked the Moscow talks to Afghanistan’s concerns over Pakistani airstrikes, saying his government was trying to prevent such attacks from being repeated.
“You saw that a few months ago they had the audacity to carry out bombings in every part of Afghanistan,” he told reporters at Kabul Airport, referring to Pakistan, adding that Kabul wanted to ensure that “in the near future, they do not dare to do such a thing again.”