India Played Constructive Role In Afghanistan; Such Efforts Always Welcome: Pentagon

The United States (US) Department of Defence has acknowledged India's constructive role in Afghanistan. ”India has played a constructive role in Afghanistan in the past in terms of training and other infrastructure improvements,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference.

Upon being asked about the cooperation between India and the US in the terror-torn country, Kirby mentioned that such kind of an effort to ensure stability and good governance in Afghanistan is ‘always welcome’ from India.

Furthermore, Kirby added that the US is also holding talks with the Pakistani leadership over the existence of safe havens across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

“We are also mindful that Pakistan and the Pakistani people also fall victim to terrorist activities that emanate from that region,” Kirby’s statement from a press briefing was quoted in a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI).

He added, “So, we all have a shared sense of the importance of closing down those safe havens and not allowing them to be used by the Taliban or other terrorist networks to sew discord.”

Meanwhile, the US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin claimed that the Afghan forces have the capability to bring about a big difference on the battlefield and assured them of America’s support when and where feasible.

“But where and when feasible will continue to support them with airstrikes, for instance,” Austin added.

Despite admitting that the security situation in Afghanistan is going wayward, Austin asserted that the US will round up the drawdown by the end of August and will subsequently conduct a separate bilateral relation with the Afghan forces by providing them financial and logistical maintenance support from outside the country.