The Taliban on Thursday stated the authorities had no statistics approximately al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri “coming into and living” in capital town Kabul and warned the USA to in no way repeat an assault on Afghan soil.
The United States killed Zawahiri with a missile fired from a drone whilst he stood on a balcony at his Kabul hideout on Sunday, US officers stated, in the most important blow to the militants on account that US Navy SEALS shot useless Osama bin Laden extra than a decade ago.
“The authorities and the management wasn’t aware about what’s being claimed, nor any hint there,” Suhail Shaheen, the distinct Taliban consultant to the United Nations, who’s primarily based totally in Doha, stated in a statement.
“Investigation is underway now to discover approximately the veracity of the claim,” he stated, including that the outcomes of the research might be shared publicly.
Taliban leaders have remained in large part tight-lipped approximately the Sunday drone strike and feature now no longer showed the presence or dying of Zawahiri in Kabul.
Referring to the drone strike, the Taliban stated “if such incidents are repeated once more and if the territory of Afghanistan is violated then duty for any results could be on United States.”
Top Taliban leaders were protecting prolonged discussions approximately the way to reply to americaA drone strike, 3 reassets withinside the organization stated.
How the Taliban react may want to have massive repercussions because the organization seeks worldwide legitimacy and get admission to to billions of greenbacks in frozen funds, following their defeat of a US-sponsored authorities a yr ago.
Zawahiri, an Egyptian doctor, turned into intently worried withinside the Sept. 11, 2001, assaults at the United States and turned into one of the world’s maximum desired men.
His dying in Kabul increases questions on whether or not he acquired sanctuary from the Taliban, who had confident the USA as a part of a 2020 settlement at the withdrawal of US-led forces that they might now no longer harbour different militant groups.
Shaheen stated the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan – the call the Taliban use for the u . s . and their authorities – turned into devoted to the settlement, signed withinside the Qatari capital, Doha.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated the Taliban had “grossly violated” the settlement via way of means of web website hosting and sheltering Zawahiri.