Taliban claim they did not know Ayman al-Zawahiri was living in central Kabul

Denial contradicts US officials who say killed al-Qaida leader was staying at home of Taliban leader's aide

The Taliban have claimed they were unaware that Ayman al-Zawahiri was living in central Kabul, days after a US drone strike in the Afghan capital killed al-Qaida's leader.

The killing of Zawahiri on the balcony of a Kabul safehouse on Sunday has further strained relations between the Taliban and the west, at a time when the rulers of Afghanistan are urgently seeking cash to handle an economic catastrophe after the US withdrawal from the country a year ago.