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Afghan Taliban announce successor to Mullah Mansour Afghan Taliban announce successor to Mullah Mansour
(35 minutes later)
The Afghan Taliban have announced a new leader to replace Mullah Akhtar Mansour who was killed in a US drone strike.The Afghan Taliban have announced a new leader to replace Mullah Akhtar Mansour who was killed in a US drone strike.
In a statement, the Taliban acknowledged Mansour's death for the first time and named his successor as Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada.In a statement, the Taliban acknowledged Mansour's death for the first time and named his successor as Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada.
Mansour was killed in a strike on his car in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Saturday. Little is known of the direction he will take the militants but analysts say he is an uncontroversial choice.
He took over the militant group in July 2015, replacing Taliban founder and spiritual head Mullah Mohammad Omar. Last year the Taliban were plunged into turmoil when Mansour replaced the group's founder Mullah Mohammad Omar.
Separately on Wednesday, 10 people were killed and four injured in a suicide attack that hit a bus carrying court employees in Kabul, government officials told the BBC. Mansour was killed in a strike on his car in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Saturday. The US and Afghan governments said he was an obstacle to the thorny peace process between the Taliban and the Afghan authorities. Indeed under his stewardship militant attacks escalated and became more daring.
Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, a religious scholar and former head of the Taliban courts, was one of the Afghan Taliban's deputy leaders.Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, a religious scholar and former head of the Taliban courts, was one of the Afghan Taliban's deputy leaders.
What we know about Haibatullah AkhundzadaWhat we know about Haibatullah Akhundzada
Source: BBC MonitoringSource: BBC Monitoring
"Haibatullah Akhundzada has been appointed as the new leader of the Islamic Emirate (Taliban) after a unanimous agreement in the shura (supreme council), and all the members of shura pledged allegiance to him," the Taliban said in a statement."Haibatullah Akhundzada has been appointed as the new leader of the Islamic Emirate (Taliban) after a unanimous agreement in the shura (supreme council), and all the members of shura pledged allegiance to him," the Taliban said in a statement.
It also said that Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of Mullah Omar, would become a joint deputy head of the movement, alongside current deputy leader Sirajuddin Haqqani.It also said that Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of Mullah Omar, would become a joint deputy head of the movement, alongside current deputy leader Sirajuddin Haqqani.
The US and Afghan governments have said Mansour was an obstacle to the thorny peace process between the Taliban and the Afghan authorities. Indeed under his stewardship militant attacks escalated and became more daring. Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is much more well known, is leader of the Haqqani network which has been blamed for some of the most violent attacks inside Afghanistan. The group is known for its daring raids on Western and Afghan targets, particularly in Kabul.
However, little is known of the direction the new leader is likely to take the militant group. In 2015 the Taliban was deeply divided over the selection of Mullah Mansour as the new leader.
But the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Kabul says the appointment of Haibatullah Akhundzada appears to be uncontroversial. The fact that he comes from the traditional Taliban stronghold of Kandahar is likely to please rank-and-file fighters.
Separately on Wednesday, 10 people were killed and four injured in a suicide attack that hit a bus carrying court employees in Kabul, government officials told the BBC.