The Taliban have not found the body of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri and were continuing investigations, spokesperson for the group, Zabihullah Mujahid, said on Thursday.
Zawahiri’s death in Kabul had raised questions about whether he was allowed sanctuary by the Taliban. Taliban had assured the US in the 2020 agreement of not harboring any militant groups. Zawahiri was among the most wanted men’s list of the US after his close involvement in the 9/11 attacks.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had also said that the Taliban had violated by hosting and sheltering Zawahiri. He was also believed to have plotted the October 12, 2000 attack on the USS Cole naval vessel in Yemen. A total of 17 US sailors were killed and more than 30 were injured in the incident.
The United States (US) had said that they killed the Al-Qaeda leader in an airstrike in Kabul last month.
US officials had claimed that Zawahiri was killed in Kabul on the morning of July 31. US President Biden had also stated regarding the incident that justice had been delivered and the terrorist leader was no more.
US had claimed that it killed Zawahiri with a missile in a drone attack while the Al-Qaeda leader was standing on a balcony at his hideout.
US officials had called it the biggest blow to Al-Qaeda since US Navy SEALS had shot dead previous leader Osama bin Laden.
US had termed the finding of Zawahiri the result of persistent counterterrorism work. US officials had claimed this year that Zawahiri’s family including his wife, daughter and her children had relocated to a safe house in Kabul, and that Zawahiri was later identified to be at that location as well.
