Blinken says Taliban 'grossly' violated Doha agreement by sheltering al Qaeda's Zawahiri

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Makes Remarks to the Media During a News Conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken makes remarks to the media during a news conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., August 1, 2022. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado

Aug 1 (Reuters) - The Taliban "grossly" violated the Doha Agreement by hosting and sheltering al Qaeda's top leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.

The United States killed leader Zawahiri in a strike in Afghanistan over the weekend, President Joe Biden said on Monday, the biggest blow to the militant group since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011. read more

"In the face of the Taliban’s unwillingness or inability to abide by their commitments, we will continue to support the Afghan people with robust humanitarian assistance and to advocate for the protection of their human rights, especially of women and girls," Blinken said in a statement.

Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; editing by Kim Coghill

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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