The Taliban* established de-facto control over almost all of Afghanistan last month after the collapse of the Western-backed Kabul government. The militants have promised Russia, the United States and other countries that they would not to allow al-Qaeda* and other terrorists to operate in territories under their control.

Reports that al-Qaeda Number One Ayman al-Zawahiri is being harboured by the Taliban are untrue, Mohammad Naim, a spokesman for the militant movement, has told Sputnik.