The Taliban condemns the drone strike, calling it a ‘clear violation’ of international principles and the 2020 Doha Agreement.
The Taliban has condemned the killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri by the United States in a “precision” drone strike in the centre of Kabul.
Al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian doctor who was being held responsible for the September 11th 2001 attacks, was shot to death. He had a $25m bounty placed on his head. This is the largest blow to the armed group since Osama Bin Laden was killed in 2011.
In a statement on Tuesday, the group called the strike a “clear violation” of international principles and the Doha Agreement, the 2020 pact signed by the Taliban and the US that facilitated the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan.
According to Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban chief spokesperson, the strike was conducted on a Kabul residential house in Sherpur, which is a diplomatic enclave in which many Taliban leaders now live.
“Such actions are a repetition of the failed experiences of the past 20 years and are against the interests of the US, Afghanistan and the region,” Mujahid said.
The drone attack is the first US strike inside Afghanistan since diplomats and troops departed the country in August 2021 following a Taliban takeover.
The move may bolster the credibility of Washington’s assurances that the US can still address threats from Afghanistan without a military presence in the country.
Al-Zawahiri’s death also raises questions about whether he received sanctuary from the Taliban following the Kabul takeover.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meanwhile, accused the Taliban of “hosting and sheltering” the al-Qaeda leader in Kabul and “grossly” violating the Doha Agreement.
“In the face of the Taliban’s unwillingness or inability to abide by their commitments, we will continue to support the Afghan people with robust humanitarian assistance and to advocate for the protection of their human rights, especially of women and girls,” Blinken said in a statement.
Read the full article here
