Letter.

Letter Published in The National UAE on 5Aug22Is Kabul sheltering Al Qaeda operatives? I write in reference to Sulaiman Hakemy's report Afghans stunned to learn terror leader Al Zawahiri was living in central Kabul (August 2): I am not surprised to read that ordinary Afghans have reacted to the news of Al Zawahiri's killing with "uncertainty" and "trepidation". After all, authorities in Kabul have been tight-lipped about the US government's attack. Ever since the Taliban takeover almost a year ago, there have been fears that Afghanistan will once again become a terrorist haven. People will wonder whether the regime is providing sanctuary to Al Qaeda leaders and operatives, like it did when it was previously in power. They will be nervous about the fallout of the assassination. In these circumstances, it's hard to expect peace and stability to return to Afghanistan anytime soon. K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India