Taliban Face Dilemma Over Response To US Killing Of al-Qaida Chief In Kabul

Senior Taliban commanders weighing up how to respond to the US assassination of al-Qaida's leader in Kabul are caught between their hopes for international recognition and pressure from their own ranks.

- Emma Graham-Harrison

Nearly three days after Ayman al-Zawahiri was struck by a drone in the heart of one of the most elite neighbourhoods of the Afghan capital, the Taliban have barely responded.

The killing of such a high-profile guest was a counter-terror coup for Washington, and a security and intelligence failure for the Taliban. It has also created a major internal and international crisis for the group.

Nearly a year after seizing control of Afghanistan, the Taliban are still seeking diplomatic recognition for their government, which they hope will curb an economic crisis by allowing for the lifting of sanctions and release of frozen funds. An aggressive response to Zawahiri's assassination would not further that cause.

But al-Qaida and its leadership are revered by many in the group's ranks, who are also likely to see a drone strike in the heart of the capital as an assault on their sovereignty.

A skirmish in the heart of Kabul on Tuesday with Islamic State militants was a reminder the group is under pressure inside Afghanistan from even more extremist groups, who are looking to pick off disaffected Taliban fighters.