The Taliban on Friday released a mostly symbolic statement about the launch of its annual spring offensive, saying that the operation aims at “eradicating occupation, cleansing our Muslim homeland from invasion and corruption, establishing an Islamic system along with defending and serving our believing fellow countrymen.”
Over the winter, The Taliban continued to conduct offensive actions in Afghanistan as a way of putting pressure on the US. In recent peace talks, the US and the Taliban virtually agreed on the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country. However, the latest round of talks ended last month without a peace deal.
Read more: Taliban announce spring offensive as Afghanistan peace talks continue