Taliban fighters patrol a street in Kabul, Afghanistan. REUTERS
New Delhi, August 3
Four suspected ISIS militants were killed and one captured alive, along with arms and ammunition, after clashes erupted in Kabul between them and the Taliban security forces, a day after the US announced that Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah has confirmed the death of ISIS militants.
ISIS gunmen engaged in clashes with the Taliban security forces in Karta-e-Sakhi area when they were conducting a clearing operation, said Kabul security department spokesman Khalid Zadran.
The clash seemed to corroborate fears of a retaliation from the ISIS with the US State Department issuing a warning to its citizens that the “supporters of Al-Qaida, or its affiliated terrorist organisations may seek to attack US facilities, personnel or citizens”.
“There are meetings at a very high level on whether they should react to the drone strike and, in case they decide to, what is the proper way,” said a Taliban leader about the lengthy discussions among the leadership for two days after Zawahiri’s killing seems to have upended the militant group’s assurance to global powers that it would not host Al-Qaida or other groups with the pan-Islamic ambitions.
Significantly, the Taliban have so far refused to confirm whether Zawahiri was the person killed in the drone strike although the top US leadership, including President Joe Biden and NSA John Sullivan, are absolutely sure about his death.
His death in Kabul has raised questions about whether he was in a safe haven under the Taliban rule even as it presented a face of reasonableness to the global community.
In India, his killing has raised questions about New Delhi’s intelligence-gathering abilities in Afghanistan. A source here pointed out that Indian intelligence’s assessment that the Taliban has cut off its ties with the Al-Qaida led National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval to advocate enhancing the capability of Afghanistan government to counter terrorist groups which pose a threat to regional security.
US tells its citizens to be on alert
The US State Department has issued a warning to its citizens that the “supporters of Al-Qaida or its affiliated terrorist organisations may seek to attack US facilities, personnel, or citizens”.
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