Taliban ‘not aware’ Ayman al-Zawahiri was in Kabul
The Hindu
Top Taliban leaders have been holding lengthy discussions about how to respond to the U.S. drone strike
The Taliban on August 4 said the government had no information about al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri "entering and living" in capital city Kabul and warned the United States to never repeat an attack on Afghan soil.
The United States killed Zawahiri with a missile fired from a drone while he stood on a balcony at his Kabul hideout on Sunday, U.S. officials said, in the biggest blow to the militants since U.S. Navy SEALS shot dead Osama bin Laden 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, said in a statement.
"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.
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Taliban leaders have remained largely tight-lipped about the Sunday drone strike and have not confirmed the presence or death of Zawahiri in Kabul.
Referring to the drone strike, the Taliban said "if such incidents are repeated again and if the territory of Afghanistan is violated then responsibility for any consequences will be on United States."
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