This Article is From Aug 04, 2022

Had "No Information" On Al-Qaeda Chief's Presence In Afghanistan, Says Taliban

The statement came two days after the US announced the killing of Al-Qaeda chief in a drone strike in Kabul.

Had 'No Information' On Al-Qaeda Chief's Presence In Afghanistan, Says Taliban

Al-Qaeda chief's assassination is the biggest blow to the terror group since Osama's killing

Kabul:

The Taliban said Thursday they have no knowledge of Ayman al-Zawahiri's presence in Afghanistan, two days after US President Joe Biden announced the Al-Qaeda chief's killing by a drone strike in Kabul.

"The leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has instructed the intelligence agencies to hold a comprehensive and serious investigation," said an official statement -- the Taliban's first mention of Zawahiri's name since Biden's announcement.

Zawahiri's assassination is the biggest blow to Al-Qaeda since US special forces killed Osama bin Laden in 2011, and calls into question the Taliban's promise not to harbour terrorist groups.

The Taliban reiterated in their statement Thursday that there was "no threat" to any country from Afghanistan's soil.

In announcing Zawahiri's death Tuesday, Biden declared "justice had been delivered" to the families of victims of the 9/11 attacks on the US.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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