Haqqani, 28, speaks at length on the Haqqani network’s Pakistan connection and relationship with India while rejecting accusations of terrorism against the guerrilla group controlled by his family and promising to provide complete security to all Afghan Sikhs and Hindus.
The speed of the Taliban advance has sparked widespread recriminations over U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw U.S. troops and leave the Afghan government to fight alone. The Taliban control about two-thirds of Afghanistan, with the last of the U.S.-led international forces set to leave by the end of the month, and their guerrilla army has waged war on multiple fronts, resulting in thousands of families fleeing the provinces in hope of finding safety in Kabul and other cities.
The Taliban has denied responsibility for the bombing; the attack comes as US troops prepare to leave Afghanistan entirely by September 11 - the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.