Map of Pakistan locating Quetta, where Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was seriously injured in a firefight, officials said on Wednesday. “The enemy was bent upon creating panic among the Muslims and the Mujahideen”, the Taliban leader said in the message.
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In a 16-minute message released on Saturday, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor advised his followers not to pay attention to rumours, describing them as “propaganda”. Several Pakistani intelligence officials also denied that Mansour was shot.
The voice in the clip could not be independently verified while some militant commanders said it appeared to be that of Mansour.
Skepticism over Taliban denials was fuelled in recent years by the secrecy which surrounded the death of Mansour’s predecessor, Mullah Mohammad Omar. A day later, they claimed the Taliban leader had succumbed to his injuries.
Pressure mounted on the Taliban to offer proof of life for their supremo after unconfirmed media reports on Friday claimed that he had died.
The audio message was released two days after Sultan Faizy, the spokesman for Afghanistan’s First Vice President Abdul Rasheed Dostum, claimed that Mansoor was wounded in a firefight that broke out at a gathering of Taliban figures in Pakistan.
Mansour’s death is being kept under wraps, as its confirmation could undermine the movement’s morale, according to the Afghan media, who believed the Taliban were unlikely to make a public announcement in this regard.
In the audio message Mansour also announced that he had no fight with any of the opponents in insurgent group.
But splits immediately emerged in the group, with some top leaders refusing to pledge allegiance to Mansour, saying the process to select him was rushed and even biased.
However his authority has been rejected by some factions in the Taliban who have accused him of covering up Mullah Omar’s death and seizing power without proper authority.
Mullah Mansoor has been struggling with the Taliban leadership since assuming charge of the group following a controversial decision by the group’s council in July this year.
The spokesperson of the breakaway faction, Mullah Abdul Manan Niazi, expressed interest in peace talks last month.
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