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KABUL: The Taliban have promised plots of land to relatives of suicide bombers who attacked US and Afghan soldiers, in a provocative gesture that seems to run counter to their efforts to court international support. The Taliban’s acting interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, offered the reward to family members of bombers gathered at a Kabul hotel, interior ministry spokesman Saeed Khosty tweeted on Tuesday.
Addressing the gathering Monday, Haqqani praised the sacrifices of “martyrs and fidayeen”, referring to fighters killed in suicide attacks, Khosty tweeted. Haqqani called them “heroes of Islam and the country,” according to the spokesman. At the end of the meeting, he distributed 10,000 afghanis ($112) per family and promised each a plot of land.
The event comes as the Taliban attempt to open diplomatic channels with an international community largely reluctant to formally recognise their rule in Afghanistan. The promise of rewards for suicide bombings signals conflicting approaches within the Taliban leadership. They are trying to position themselves as responsible rulers, who promise security for all and have condemned suicide attacks by rivals, the militant Islamic State-Khorasan. On the other hand, they praise such tactics when it comes to their followers. The Taliban cannot afford to alienate the US, which froze billions of dollars in Afghan assets in US accounts.
At the same time, the Taliban cannot afford to lose their hardline base, especially in the wake of a growing IS-K threat. Suicide bombings and roadside explosives were tactics used by the Taliban to wear down Afghan and US forces throughout 20-year insurgency.
Addressing the gathering Monday, Haqqani praised the sacrifices of “martyrs and fidayeen”, referring to fighters killed in suicide attacks, Khosty tweeted. Haqqani called them “heroes of Islam and the country,” according to the spokesman. At the end of the meeting, he distributed 10,000 afghanis ($112) per family and promised each a plot of land.
The event comes as the Taliban attempt to open diplomatic channels with an international community largely reluctant to formally recognise their rule in Afghanistan. The promise of rewards for suicide bombings signals conflicting approaches within the Taliban leadership. They are trying to position themselves as responsible rulers, who promise security for all and have condemned suicide attacks by rivals, the militant Islamic State-Khorasan. On the other hand, they praise such tactics when it comes to their followers. The Taliban cannot afford to alienate the US, which froze billions of dollars in Afghan assets in US accounts.
At the same time, the Taliban cannot afford to lose their hardline base, especially in the wake of a growing IS-K threat. Suicide bombings and roadside explosives were tactics used by the Taliban to wear down Afghan and US forces throughout 20-year insurgency.
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