Following the announcement of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s killing in drone strike by the US in Kabul, diplomatic missions of Afghanistan abroad in a joint statement called on the international community to consider the situation in Afghanistan, particularly of women and girls.
The statement urged the international community to not allow Afghan soil to be used against other countries.
“It also makes clear that the Taliban’s linkage with Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups remains strong and active and since the group’s takeover of Afghanistan in August of last year, Afghanistan is once again being turned into a base for international terrorism,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, China’s ambassador to Kabul, Wang Yu, tweeted: China’s foreign ministry spokesman referring to drone strike, said there should be “no double standards on counterterrorism, it should be against all forms of terrorism” and “counterterrorism…should not be conducted at expense of sovereignty of other countries.”
The analysts believe that China is concerned about terrorism in Afghanistan.
“China is interested in investment in Afghanistan but the country’s biggest concern is the activities of terrorist groups in Afghanistan,” said Ahmad Munib Rasa, a political analyst.
“It looks like after the killing of Zawahiri in Kabul, the issue of recognition of the Taliban’s government will be difficult now,” said Sayed Jawad Sijadi, an international relations analyst.
Commander of the US forces in Afghanistan during the Obama administration, David Petraeus, said that the killing of the al-Qaeda leader in Kabul will affect the relations between Kabul and Washington.
“Without question, this is going to have a very negative affect on the relationship that we were just beginning to develop between the United States and the Taliban,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate is investigating a US “claim” that al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US drone strike in Kabul, an official of the Islamic Emirate said on Thursday, indicating the Islamic Emirate’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, US 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 Islamic Emirate 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.
