Taliban investigating US 'claim' of killing al-Qaeda chief

The Taliban says it is investigating a "claim" by the United States that it killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone attack in Kabul, says a Taliban official, indicating the group's leadership was not aware of his presence there. The US said it killed al-Zawahiri with a missile fired from a drone while he stood on a balcony at his Kabul hiding place on Sunday. US officials said the killing was the biggest blow to the armed group since its founder, Osama bin Laden was shot dead more than 10 years ago. "The government and the leadership wasn't aware of what is being claimed, nor any trace there," Suhail Shaheen, the designated Taliban representative to the United Nations, who is based in Doha, told journalists in a message. "Investigation is under way now to find out about the veracity of the claim," he said, adding that the results of the investigation would be shared publicly.