[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Taliban, the ruling power in Afghanistan, condemned the U.S. government's announcement of the killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, calling it a violation of the withdrawal agreement.
On the 2nd (local time), Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban government, stated in a press release, "Preliminary investigations by security and intelligence authorities have confirmed that there was a U.S. drone strike in a residential area of Kabul," adding, "The drone attack by the U.S. military clearly violates international norms and the Doha Agreement, repeating the failures the U.S. has experienced over the past 20 years."
The Doha Agreement, signed in February 2020 between the U.S. and the Taliban, is an agreement for the withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan. The Taliban claim that the agreement included a prohibition on U.S. drone strikes. Mujahid emphasized, "The actions of the U.S. run counter to the interests of the U.S., Afghanistan, and the regional community," and "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban government) strongly condemns this attack regardless of any excuses from the U.S." However, the Taliban did not comment on the death status of al-Zawahiri.
On the other hand, the U.S. pointed out that the Taliban have been protecting individuals wanted as international terrorists, seriously violating the Doha Agreement. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a press conference that day, "The Taliban have managed and protected al-Zawahiri, seriously violating the Doha Agreement," and emphasized, "Faced with the Taliban's hesitation and incompetence in fulfilling their commitments, we will actively continue humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people."
Earlier, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) revealed that at the time of the airstrike, al-Zawahiri was staying at a house owned by an aide to Sirajuddin Haqqani, a senior Taliban leader.
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