Afghan journo says Zawahiri was a guest of Haqannis

Story by Aasha Khosa | Posted by Aasha Khosa | Date 05-08-2022

Bilal Sarwary speaking with Al Zajeera anchor Maryam Nemazeem

Aasha Khosa/New Delhi

The mystery around the killing of Al Qaeda Chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul has been somewhat unraveled by a well-known Afghan Journalist Bilal Sarwary, who lives in Toronto, Canada after he like thousands of his countrymen left Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover.

In an interview on the Al Jazeera television channel, Sarwary said, he had photographic evidence to prove that in the Sherpur area where a US drone hit the Al Qaeda chief on Sunday while he was on the balcony of a house, in all 12 persons had died. He said, “Locals have filmed 12 fatalities,” he told the Al Zajeera channel.

Sarwary claimed Zawahiri could not have lived in this high-profile diplomatic enclave without the patronage and protection of the Taliban.

A former BBC reporter in Kabul, Sarwary said those killed included Arabs, Libyans, and Egyptians.

Besides, he said, the locals have told him that after the drone strike at least “four fighters (Terrorists) with their families including women and children were made to rush out of the area in vehicles.”

Quoting his sources on the ground, Sarwary says Zawahiri had crossed from Pakistan via the north Waziristan border in May. He was being guided in his journey by Aziz Haqqani, a senior member of the Haqqani clan.

Afghanistan’s interior (Home) minister Sirajuddin Haqanni belongs to this clan and unconfirmed reports said some of his family members were killed in the drone attack.

Sarwary told the Al Jazeera channel that there was evidence about Zawahiri being hosted by Maulvi Ziauddin, chief of the Staff of Afghan Interior minister Sirajuddin Haqanni and Moulvi Hamzai, the chief Moulvi of Kabul.

He said that area of Kabul was being used by the Taliban to house their fighters and their families and it was an open secret.

Sarwary claimed that the Al Qaeda chief would not be there without the knowledge and protection of the Taliban leaders since it’s well known that the Americans have a network of informers on the ground and they have mapped the entire city so well.

He also warned that a day before Zawahiri was killed his videos shot in Waziristan (Pakistan) had been edited in a Kabul Studio belonging to the government: Also he debunked Taliban regime's claims of its innocent on Zawahiris presence and death.

“A number of videos of Aymen Al Zawahiri were edited in Kabul including inside the studios of GDI by AQ media wing. Videos filmed in Waziristan. The editing concluded a day before the drone strike. Videos have new messages from Aymen Al Zawahiri.” A CT official tells me.
— BILAL SARWARY (@bsarwary) August 4, 2022

The Taliban regime in Kabul has maintained silence on the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri or his presence in the capital.

Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that the Islamic Emirate is investigating the “claims of the US President Joe Biden” about killing the al-Qaeda leader in Kabul.

Also Read :Is Pakistan behind Zawahiri’s killing?

“On the 2nd of Muharram 1444 an air strike was carried out on a residential house in Kabul city, two days later, US President Joe Biden claimed that US troops had targeted Al-Qaeda leader Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri in this attack, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has no information about Ayman al-Zawahiri's arrival and stay in Kabul. The leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has instructed the investigative and intelligence agencies to conduct a comprehensive and serious investigation into the various aspects of the incident."