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Allegations of Russian bounties for killing US soldiers ‘fiction, phobias,’ Moscow claims

On Thursday, the White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki claimed that the US believes that Moscow should explain the alleged involvement in payment of bounties for assassinations of US soldiers in Afghanistan

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Russian foreign Ministry press service/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Russian foreign Ministry press service/TASS

MOSCOW, April 16. /TASS/. Washington's accusation regarding alleged Russian bounties for assassination of US servicemen in Afghanistan are fiction and phobias of US intelligence community, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Friday.

"We noted the once again voice White House accusations towards Russia about the alleged bounties to Taliban militants for assassination of US servicemen in Afghanistan, claimed to have low or medium credibility. We demand that Washington presented specific facts that such groundless statements are based upon. We once again state the such allegations are nothing but fiction and phobias of US intelligence community," the spokeswoman said.

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Russia to expel ten US diplomats — Lavrov

According to Zakharova, Moscow receives reports of the US’s own cooperation with terror groups in Afghanistan, including the so-called Islamic State [Dash], as well as US plans to increase it intelligence presence in Afghanistan amid the troops withdrawal.

"We are certain that these circumstances cause serious concerns not only in Russia, but also in other regional countries. We expect explanations in this regard from the US," the statement says.

On Thursday, the White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki claimed that the US believes that Moscow should explain the alleged involvement in payment of bounties for assassinations of US soldiers in Afghanistan. According to the press secretary, although US intelligence agencies have "low-to-moderate" certainty in correctness of such allegations, the US "will not stand by and accept the targeting of US personnel by any elements, including a foreign state actor.".

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