KABUL: The Taliban on Saturday denied US media reports saying that a Russian intelligence unit secretly rewarded them for targeting American troops in Afghanistan.
“We have heard these reports and they are false and baseless,” Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, told Arab News over the phone.
He added that the group had “neither sought nor received any aid from any country or intelligence agency in 19 years of war.”
Mujahid argued the Taliban have not been in possession of any advanced weapons, which according to him implies they had not received any foreign arms.
“We have used whatever resources we have had in Afghanistan or prepared for example roadside and car bombs from explosives and materials available locally.”
The Taliban, Mujahid said, have not been in possession of any advanced weapons to conduct sophisticated attacks on US targets, which could imply they had received foreign arms.
“We have used whatever resources we have had in Afghanistan or prepared for example roadside and car bombs from explosives and materials available locally.”
He said the group has not targeted the US military since the two sides signed a peace deal in Doha, Qatar, in late February. In accordance with the agreement, American troops should leave Afghanistan by spring 2021.
Earlier on Saturday, the New York Times and two other American dailies reported that American intelligence officials have concluded that a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan and targeting American troops.
Mujahid commented that some circles in the US were disappointed by the Doha deal. “They want to prevent the withdrawal of Americans from here because they will lose the resources and income they have earned from continuing the war and want to do everything for their survival,” he said.
While Russia itself had suffered a disgraceful retreat after nearly 10 years of occupying Afghanistan in the 1980s, it has joined Iran, Pakistan and China in opposing the presence of American troops in the country.
Although Afghan officials in the past have not found any direct military links between the Taliban and Moscow, some provincial officials said that Russians provided intelligence to the group when it captured the northern city of Kunduz near the border with Tajikistan in 2015 and 2016.
According to analyst Zabihullah Pakteen, Russia has been a vocal supporter of the Taliban in their war against Daesh. He suggested that the US report on bounties could be referring to developments from before the Qatar deal and leaking it now could be linked to the pullout of American troops.
“Russian involvement in Afghanistan in giving bounties to kill US soldiers certainly puts pressure on the Trump administration as US election approaches. The most important aspect of intelligence leaking could be very well connected to troops withdrawal … so the US would have to stay to confront Russia and other adversaries in the region,” he told Arab News.
Some 4,400 out of 13,000 American troops have already left Afghanistan following the Doha deal.
Their withdrawal and ending America’s wars abroad was one of US President Donald Trump’s main campaign promises. The allegation of Taliban-Russian links, which could delay the troop pullout, comes as Trump is running for a second term in the White House in November’s election.
Taliban deny reports Russia paid them to attack US troops in Afghanistan
https://arab.news/cgzew
Taliban deny reports Russia paid them to attack US troops in Afghanistan
- Taliban spokesman says the group has not received any assistance from any country or intelligence agency in 19 years of war
- Analysts suggest the reports could be related to the withdrawal of American troops and upcoming US election
India rolls out strictest anti-pollution curbs as toxic smog engulfs Delhi
- Private monitors in several parts of northern Delhi recorded AQI spikes between 550 and 700s
- Authorities invoked stage four of the capital region’s emergency pollution-control framework
NEW DELHI: India’s capital choked under a thick blanket of smog on Sunday, with the government imposing anti-pollution curbs after monitoring stations in some areas recorded extremely hazardous air quality.
Home to 30 million people, Delhi has not recorded a single “clean air” day in 2025, with Air Quality Index readings hitting high above the 50 score throughout the year.
On the AQI scale from 0 to 500, good air quality is represented by levels below 50, while levels above 300 are dangerous.
Worsening since late October, official records over the weekend were in the severe to severe-plus range of 400–500, but as 24-hour averages, they did not capture the peaks. Private monitors in several parts of North and North West Delhi recorded AQI spikes above 550 and even into the 700s in real-time.
On Saturday evening, the Ministry of Environment’s Commission for Air Quality Management invoked stage four — the highest level — of the Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi and surrounding areas.
To “prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region,” the commission suspended all non-essential construction, shut stone crushers and mining operations, stopped entry of trucks into the capital region, and ordered schools to shift to hybrid classes or online, where possible.
While authorities blamed the pollution on “adverse meteorological conditions,” residents have been demanding more government action.
“The situation is so bad in Delhi that we don’t have any option but to force kids to do online classes. The government has failed us; it has not done anything to address the issue,” said Nabanita Nayak, who decided for her teenage children to attend school online only, despite concerns over their screen addiction.
“If the kids are too much in front of laptops, that’s also an issue. As a mother, I am worried.”
Delhi’s pollution has been worsening since Diwali in late October, when the average AQI has been above 370, or “very poor.” Since mid-November, it has been over 400, which means “severe” air quality, with certain areas recording 500 and above, which is classified as a “hazardous” level.
“I don’t feel proud living in Delhi. It’s the capital city of the country … We talk about being a developed nation by 2047 — we have deadlines,” said Jagriti Arora, who is keeping her 7-year-old daughter at home to prevent allergy flare-ups caused by air pollution.
“The government has to do something … China had a big problem with pollution, but now they’ve managed to bring it down.”
Delhi’s air quality deteriorates in winter due to local emissions and seasonal weather conditions. Cold temperatures and low wind speeds result in a temperature inversion, which traps pollutants close to the ground instead of letting them disperse. This allows emissions from millions of vehicles, ongoing construction, and nearby industrial activity to accumulate in the air. Urban waste burning and dust from construction sites further add to it.
“This is not a new thing. This has been happening now for over 10 years,” Arora said. “You can see it. You don’t need to actually look at an AQI meter to see how bad the pollution is these days.”
