A Taliban official said Thursday that the movement is investigating US “claims” that al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike in Kabul, stressing that he was unaware of his presence in the city.
US officials said Washington killed al-Zawahiri last Sunday as he stood on the balcony of his Kabul hideout with a missile fired by a drone, the biggest blow to the organization since Osama bin Laden was killed more than a decade ago. Is. .
Sohail Shaheen, the elected representative of the Taliban in the United Nations based in Doha, said in a letter to reporters: “Neither the government nor the leadership was aware of these claims.”
Taliban leaders have been largely silent on Sunday’s attack and have not confirmed whether al-Zawahiri was present or killed in Kabul, and three sources in the movement said senior Taliban leaders had lengthy discussions about how to respond to the U.S. attack.
The Taliban’s response could have major consequences as the group seeks international legitimacy and access to billions of dollars in frozen funds after the fall of the US-backed government a year ago.
Al-Zawahiri is an Egyptian doctor who was closely involved in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and is one of the most wanted people in the world, led by the United States, which will not harbor other armed groups.
Shaheen said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the name the Taliban use for the country and its government, was committed to the accord signed in Doha, the Qatari capital, while US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the Taliban “clearly “They violated this agreement. The agreement to host and shelter al-Zawahiri.”
Source: Lebanon Debate
