Pak Denies Taliban Claim That US Used Islamabad’s Airspace To Kill Al Qaeda Leader: Report

Headlines

Pakistan has denied Taliban claims that the US strike that killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in July used Islamabad’s airspace.
The Taliban had previously accused Pakistan’s government of allowing US drones to operate in its airspace, which prompted the response.

Mullah Yaqoub, Afghanistan’s acting defence minister, claimed on Sunday that using drones to illegally patrol the nation’s airspace violates international law.

According to reports, Mullah Yaqoub and the Chief of Staff of the Taliban’s military forces made the declaration during a press conference on Sunday at noon.

“Our information shows that they (US drones) are entering into Afghanistan from Pakistan, using the airspace of Pakistan,” Mr Mujahid told reporters.

The Taliban’s acting defence minister strongly claimed during the press conference that the US entered and attacked Afghanistan through Pakistan’s airspace.

Previously, US President Joe Biden announced in a live broadcast that Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri had been assassinated by a CIA drone strike in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

The US claims that two Hellfire missiles fired from a drone killed the al-Qaeda leader while doing little damage elsewhere, preventing non-combatant fatalities.

The Taliban’s acting Defense Minister made his remarks at a time when the terror organisation was mediating peace talks between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, and the government of Pakistan.