Mullah Omar’s son, Mullah Yaqub, released an audio message to his sympathisers over the weekend that urged them to swear allegiance to the new Taliban chief.
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He wanted Maulavi Yaqoob to succeed his father as the supreme leader of Taliban.
Mullah Omar’s family and a number of senior figures were against his successor and splits emerged into the open.
A group led by Omar’s younger brother Mullah Abdul Manan had alleged that Mansoor had essentially appointed himself head of the militant group without winning the support from the movement’s religious leaders and key commanders.
Many important Taliban figures still oppose Mansour.
“For Taliban as an organization this is a major breakthrough, it will strengthen their position and unite their ranks”, he said.
The Taliban, who have been waging a bloody insurgency since their regime was toppled in late 2001, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Manan confirmed to The Associated Press that he and Yaqoub are now pledging their allegiance to Mansour; the pair, along with several other senior Taliban commanders, initially rejected Mansour’s ascension.
Two police officers and a woman were among those killed. These included restructuring the leadership shura (council) and ruling by consensus.
“Mullah Mansour accepted all these demands”, the aide said, asking not to be named.
The move aims to end a rift among the Islamist insurgents after they admitted in July that the death of the talismanic one-eyed group founder Omar had been kept secret for two years. Earlier this week his son said he had died of natural causes in Afghanistan, after contracting hepatitis C.
Pakistan’s national security adviser told the country’s parliament efforts were under way to restart conciliatory talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
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Yet the deal reinforces his leadership, making it more likely that the Taliban can avoid rupturing at a time when Islamic State is seeking to expand its influence in the region, and also raising hopes that stalled peace talks with the Afghan government may resume.
