Afghan government officials urge U.S. to halt drone patrolling over airspace

KABUL – Afghan government officials urged the United States to halt pilotless drone patrolling over Afghan territory, the state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported on Tuesday (Sept. 28).

All international countries, especially the United States, should heed their commitment to the Afghan government and not encroach on its airspace, the officials, without being identified, were quoted by the news agency as saying.

The officials said the U.S. has recently violated Afghan sovereignty by conducing drone patrolling over Afghanistan’s airspace.

They stressed that all countries were the “sole owners of the territorial and air sovereignty” of their states under international law.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as the sole legal entity of Afghanistan, is the guardian of Afghanistan’s land and airspace; but the United States has recently acted in violation of all international law and the United States’ commitments to the Islamic Emirate in Doha, Qatar,” said the officials.

Such violations must be rectified and prevented, the officials added. (Xinhua)