The Pentagon on Monday said “small harassing attacks” in Afghanistan over the weekend had not had a significant impact on the United States’ military withdrawal from the country.
“What we’ve seen are some small harassing attacks over the course of the weekend that have not had any significant impact, certainly not on our people or our resources there and bases,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
The commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan said on Saturday it would be a mistake for insurgents to attack foreign troops still present after the passing of a May 1 deadline for withdrawal agreed last year with Taliban militants.
U.S. Army General Scott Miller’s comments followed what a U.S. forces spokesman described as “ineffective indirect fire” at an airfield in Kandahar that had caused no injuries or damage. The Taliban did not immediately respond to request for comment on whether it was involved.
Taliban insurgents attacked an army outpost in Afghanistan’s southwestern Farah province killing at least seven soldiers, local officials said on Monday.
Violence against Afghans has risen in recent weeks, with more than a hundred Afghan security forces personnel killed.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Chris Reese and Grant McCool)
