Taliban launches new Afghanistan offensive with U.S. as primary target

Taliban militants on Wednesday announced the launch of their new offensive for the year which will target U.S. forces and their allies in Afghanistan.

The statement released online said the "Al-Khandaq" offensive will be "mainly focusing on crushing, killing and capturing American invaders", while their "internal supporters" – the Afghan government and troops – are considered secondary priorities.

The offensive is named after the famous battle of Khandaq – which translates as "battle of the trench" – in the era of Islam's Prophet Muhammad which saw 3,000 Muslim men dig trenches around Medina in Saudi Arabia and survive a month-long siege by non-Muslim Arabs and Jews.

The new offensive seems to be in response to America's latest strategy in Afghanistan which includes an increased U.S. troop presence, following an announcement by President Donald Trump in October.

On Wednesday the Taliban accused the U.S. and Afghan governments of sabotaging peace by prolonging the war, based on the ongoing existence of American military bases in the country.

Despite several attempts by the Afghan and U.S. governments to bring the Taliban to the peace table, the militants are yet to accept a peace offer that will end the continuous conflict.

The militants say the international alliance in Afghanistan is an invasion and the Afghan government is a puppet of the U.S.    (dpa)