Taliban say investigating U.S. claim of killing al Qaeda leader

Reuters:

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

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 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.