Speculation about Mansoor’s fate reached a fever pitch after unconfirmed media reports on Friday claimed that he had died in the gunfight, which the Taliban earlier repeatedly denied ever took place as well.
Advertisement
On Thursday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry also denied reports that Mansour has been injured in gunfight in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province.
The Taliban have seen a string of defections in recent months following the news of the death of Mullah Omar, the former leader of the Afghan militant group.
An audiotape purportedly recorded by Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor has been released in an attempt to rubbish claims he was killed or injured in a fight with other militants.
Afghan officials claimed last week that the Taliban leader had been shot when a meeting of senior commanders from the Islamist movement escalated into a firefight, with several men killed. “The meeting was attended by our high officials, edited, and then sent on to the media”, said one of the officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Taliban members too were confused and concerned about the growing turmoil in their ranks following the death of their supreme leader Mulla Mohammad Omar.
But the vehement denials by the radical group fell on sceptical ears, especially after they kept the death of longtime chief Mullah Omar secret for two years.
His declare to the management has been rejected by some factions within the Taliban who’ve accused him of overlaying up Mullah Omar’s demise and seizing energy with out correct authority.
It was not possible to verify whether the voice was Mansoor’s, although some militant commanders of the group said it appeared to be his. He died in 2013 however this was not confirmed till two years later.
Mansour was declared Taleban leader on July 31, but splits immediately emerged in the group, with some top leaders refusing to pledge their allegiance to the new leader saying the process to select him was rushed and biased.
Speculation about Mansour’s death has also threatened to derail a renewed regional push to jump-start peace talks with the Taliban.
A breakaway faction was formed last month, reportedly led by Mullah Mohamed Rasool, resulting in internal clashes last month that left dozens of people dead.
Advertisement
He was believed to be a proponent of such talks, a stance which prompted rancor among hardline insurgents.
