The statement appears to have spurred speculation throughout the ranks of the Taliban, and the talk quickly prompted Mullah Mansour to begin telling his compatriots that Mullah Omar had died, the report said.
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The irony in all this self-righteousness on the part of Pakistani state structures is that the Taliban chose Mullah Omar’s successor on Pakistani soil within 24 hours of confirming their one-eyed leader’s death.
Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour will be the Taliban’s new leader following the death of longtime leader Mullah Mohammed Omar.
Some insurgents, particularly in the restive eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, have adopted the IS flag to rebrand themselves as a more lethal force as North Atlantic Treaty Organisation troops depart after 14 years of war.
“Of course he wanted the foreigners out of Afghanistan, but Mullah Mansoor consistently told Mullah Omar that war was not the solution in Afghanistan“, Mujda said.
Mullah Akhtar was Omar’s deputy, and was running the 20-member council after the Taliban chief’s death. He had not been seen in public since fleeing the invasion over the border into Pakistan.
The Taliban and Afghanistan recently initiated peace talks. The Pakistani government, which was to host the meeting, said the negotiations were indefinitely postponed.
“People … were not happy with Mullah Mansour when he agreed with Pakistan … to hold a meeting with Kabul”, said a Taliban commander based in Quetta.
Foreign Ministry on Friday said that while China understands the reasons for postponement of talks, it wants all parties to focus on national unity and lasting peace in Afghanistan and continue to push forward the peace and reconciliation process.
Omar’s son Mullah Yakoub was favoured to take over by some commanders, sources said, but at 26 was considered too young and inexperienced for such a key role. A large number of activists of JuD – a terror outfit listed by the UN but operates freely across Pakistan – attended the prayer at its headquarters in Chauburji here last evening.
“Mullah Omar was the heir of tens of thousands of martyrs, he was the leader of all “mujahideen”, a priceless treasure of the Muslim Ummah, and the one who defeated America”, Saeed told the mourners, according to a statement.
U.S. officials did not respond when asked to assess the effect of the announcement of Omar’s death on the talks, which the United States has backed, but analysts said it could further fragment the Taliban movement and make peace even more elusive.
In an apparent damage-control measure, the Taliban leadership shura was hurriedly convened to nominate the Taliban’s once-upon-a-time civil aviation minister and Omar’s deputy, Akhar Muhammad Mansoor, as the new ameer – also a tacit acknowledgement that the supreme leader is no more. Haqqani has a U.S. bounty of $10 million on his head as a leader of the brutal and extremist Haqqani network, which is allied with al-Qaida. There are indications that he already was under tremendous pressure from those opposed to the talks, including the Doha-based Political Office, which on July 8, the day the first round of peace talks ended in the cool climes of Murree, posted a statement on the official website of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Abdul Wadood Wahidi, spokesman for the Kunduz governor, said the militants had planted explosives beneath the bridge connecting Qala-i-Zal and Chahar Dara districts.
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Residents of the area, speaking to Reuters by telephone, said bodies of security personnel and Taliban fighters were lying in the streets after the battle.
