Taliban say investigating US claim of killing Al Qaeda leader Zawahiri

Published August 4, 2022
Suhail Shaheen, the designated Taliban representative to the United Nations, gestures while speaking during a joint news conference in Moscow, Russia on March 19, 2021.— AP/File
Suhail Shaheen, the designated Taliban representative to the United Nations, gestures while speaking during a joint news conference in Moscow, Russia on March 19, 2021.— AP/File

The Taliban are investigating a US “claim” that Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri was killed in a US drone strike in Kabul, a Taliban official said on Thursday, indicating the group’s leadership were not aware of his presence there.

The US killed Zawahiri with a missile fired from a drone while he stood on a balcony at his Kabul hideout on Sunday, US officials said, in the biggest blow to the militants since Osama bin Laden was shot dead more than a decade ago.

“The government and the leadership wasn’t aware of what is being claimed, nor any trace there,” Suhail Shaheen, the designated Taliban representative to the United Nations, who is based in Doha, told journalists in a message.

“Investigation is underway now to find out about the veracity of the claim,” he said, adding that the results of the investigation would be shared publicly.

Taliban leaders have remained largely tight-lipped about the Sunday drone strike and have not confirmed the presence or death of Zawahiri in Kabul.

Top Taliban leaders have been holding lengthy discussions about how to respond to the US drone strike, three sources in the group said.

How the Taliban react could have significant repercussions as the group seeks international legitimacy and access to billions of dollars in frozen funds, following their defeat of a US-backed government a year ago.

Zawahiri, an Egyptian doctor, was closely involved in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US and was one of the world’s most wanted men.

His death in Kabul raises questions about whether he received sanctuary from the Taliban, who had assured the United States as part of a 2020 agreement on the withdrawal of US-led forces that they would not harbour other militant groups.

Shaheen said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan — the name the Taliban use for the country and their government — was committed to the agreement, signed in the Qatari capital, Doha.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Taliban had “grossly violated” the agreement by hosting and sheltering Zawahiri.

Opinion

Editorial

Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....
Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...