Washington has not yet provided the public with evidence of the elimination of al-Qaeda terrorist organization (banned in Russia) leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, Ivan Nechayev, Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a briefing on Thursday.
"We do not intend to confirm the reliability of American statements about the elimination of the al-Qaeda ringleader in Kabul as a result of a drone strike. Washington has not presented the public with any evidence of the elimination of the terrorist in question," he said.
Nechaev noted that the first conclusions can be drawn after official comments from representatives of the current authorities in Afghanistan. "So far, they state that they have no information about Ayman al-Zawahiri's presence in the Afghan capital," he added.
The diplomat also pointed out that the aggressive actions of the US Air Force, which invaded Afghanistan's sovereign territory, raise a number of serious questions. "For example, who provided the airspace for the airstrike on Kabul, who will be responsible in case of civilian casualties in such actions?", Nechaev pointed out.
"We believe that countering terrorism requires consolidated efforts and a systematic approach without attempts to use the real threat to cover own geopolitical ambitions. Washington, judging by the incident, prefers to act as it pleases, following strictly the path of its own foreign policy benefits without taking into account international law and the national sovereignty of other states," the diplomat concluded.
Last week, the US authorities announced the elimination of al-Zawahiri. The air strike on the house in Kabul, where the terrorist leader was staying, was conducted last weekend. The US authorities in Washington believe that the Taliban were aware of the al-Qaeda leader's presence in the capital of Afghanistan. The US administration confirmed that it had not informed the Taliban of its intention to eliminate al-Zawahiri beforehand. The Taliban, in turn, have stated that they strongly condemn the US action and consider it a violation of international law and the Doha agreements.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS