Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated that the United States urges the Taliban to ensure that terrorist attacks do not originate from Afghan soil.
In a press briefing on Tuesday in Washington, Miller emphasized, “That has been a priority for us in engagements with them, and it continues to be.”
“The Pakistani people have suffered greatly at the hands of violent extremists and terrorists. We have a shared interest with the Pakistani people and the Government of Pakistan in combating threats to regional security,” he said.
“We do continue to urge the Taliban to ensure that terrorist attacks are not launched from the – from Afghan soil,” Miller said in response to a question.
The Taliban has repeatedly denied the presence of terrorist groups within Afghanistan that threaten regional security. They have also stated that they do not support the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
However, Pakistani officials have frequently accused the Afghan Taliban of supporting the TTP, alleging that the group plans its attacks on Pakistani soil from “hideouts within Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.”
Most recently, Pakistan’s Defense Minister stated that Islamabad reserves the right to conduct strikes against “terrorist” targets within Afghanistan if threats persist.
