The number of American troops in Afghanistan has dropped to almost 8,600.
Washington:
US intelligence has concluded that the Russian military has offered bonuses to Taliban-linked terrorists in Afghanistan for killing US troops and other coalition forces, the New York Times reported Friday.
Quoting officials knowledgeable, The Times said the United States had determined months ago that a Russian military intelligence unit linked to assassination attempts in Europe had offered rewards for successful attacks l ‘last year.
Islamist terrorists, or closely associated armed criminal elements, have reportedly collected bonuses, the newspaper said.
The White House, the CIA and the office of the director of national intelligence denied Reuters’ requests to comment on the Times report.
President Donald Trump has been informed of the information, according to the Times. He said the White House had not yet authorized measures against Russia in response to the bonuses.
Of the 20 Americans killed in action in 2019, according to the Times, it was not clear which deaths were suspected.
After nearly 20 years of fighting the Taliban, the United States is looking for a way to extricate itself from Afghanistan and achieve peace between the US-backed government and the terrorist group that controls parts from the country.
On February 29, the United States and the Taliban reached an agreement providing for a gradual withdrawal of American troops.
US troops in Afghanistan have fallen to almost 8,600, well ahead of a schedule agreed to with the Taliban, in part due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus, US and NATO officials said in late May. .
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
