Al-Qaeda fighters no more fighting in Afghanistan: Taliban

KABUL (Pajhwok): The spokesman of the Qatar-based Taliban has said al-Qaeda fighters have returned to their home countries and are no longer fighting Afghanistan.
Mohammad Naeem, the group’s spokesman, who is based in the Qatari capital Doha told Al-Sharq newspaper they were not ready to hold talks with the Afghan government unless the foreign forces left the country.
According to Naeem, talking to Afghan government in presence of foreign troops in the country meant submission. He also ruled out any internal differences in the group.
He said the group’s leader Mullah Mohammad Omar was alive, in good health and were making regular meetings with his deputies.
Naeem was unaware of al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawaheri, but said majority of the group’s fighters had left Afghanistan to Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
“The unity government is installed by US secretary of state John Kerry and the government has internal issues as well. Their differences on a nominee for defence ministry and electoral reforms commission are examples,” he continued.
The Taliban’s Qatar office spokesman said there was no independent administration in the country right now and there was no difference between former and incumbent president.
Regarding Daesh group presence in Afghanistan, he said: “Our strategy is clear. We won’t interfere in other countries’ internal matters and we don’t want others to interfere in our affairs.”
He insisted since the group’s inception, the US has not viewed them as a terrorist group.
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