Afghan Taliban snub reports of receiving help from Russia, Iran

Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid says Taliban will engage in dialogue with the Americans, not the Kabul Office

In a first, the Afghan Taliban on Monday dismissed reports of receiving financial and military assistance from Russia or Iran, asserting that they were still operating on their own.

"We haven't received any help from the Russians," Zabihullah Mujahid, the Afghan Taliban spokesperson, said speaking exclusively to The Express Tribune.

"Claims that Iran aids and shelters us are not true either. We reject these reports."

He further went on to describe such rumours as "enemy propaganda"  aimed at denting their cause.



In July this year, videos obtained by CNN concluded that the US government suspected Russian involvement in arming the Taliban with modern weaponry.

The videos showed the Taliban showcasing their sniper rifles, Kalashnikov variants and heavy machine guns which experts believe are Russian made.

Responding to a query related to the effectiveness of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) in finding a peace solution to the war-torn country, Mujahid said, "We don't participate in the Quartet meeting because we don't talk with the Kabul office."

He added that the Taliban would engage in a dialogue with the Americans, not with the Kabul Office

The QCG comprises Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States. It was set up in January 2016 to find a political solution to the Afghan conflict.



Last month, the QCG began its meeting in Oman to revive the moribund peace process in Afghanistan which hit a dead-end in May 2016 after the killing of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in a US drone strike in Balochistan.

However, the strike was construed by analysts as a deliberate attempt to sabotage the dialogue process.

Previously, the Murree Process, initiated due to the efforts of former COAS General Raheel Sharif, was allegedly sabotaged by the Afghan intelligence agency, NDS, when it leaked the news of the death of Taliban leader Mullah Omar.