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| Mullah Omar: Taliban leader 'died in Pakistan in 2013' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Taliban leader Mullah Omar died two years ago in Pakistan, a spokesman for Afghanistan's security services says. | |
| Abdul Hassib Seddiqi told the BBC's Afghan Service that Mullah Omar had died of health problems at a hospital in Pakistan. | |
| Afghanistan's government says it is investigating the claims. | |
| The latest reports of Mullah Omar's death are being taken more seriously than previous such reports. The Taliban is expected to issue a statement soon. | |
| Sources at the Taliban's two main councils in Quetta and Peshawar in Pakistan told the BBC they were in intensive talks to agree on a replacement for Mullah Omar. | |
| Aides close to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani confirmed the death to the BBC. | |
| Separately, Mr Seddiqi, the spokesman for Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security, told the Associated Press agency that Mullah Omar's death at a Karachi hospital happened in 2013. | |
| Pakistan's government and security services have not commented on the claims so far. They have always denied that Mullah Omar was in their country. | |
| A spokesman for Mr Ghani said on Wednesday that the authorities were trying to verify the reports. | |
| The Afghan government, elected last year, has embarked on a peace process with the Taliban. | The Afghan government, elected last year, has embarked on a peace process with the Taliban. |
| A security official in Pakistan, the country hosting the talks, told AP that the claims of Mullah Omar's death were mere "speculation", designed to destabilise the negotiations. | |
| Who is Mullah Omar? | Who is Mullah Omar? |
| Analysis - Dawood Azami, BBC World Service | Analysis - Dawood Azami, BBC World Service |
| Mullah Omar has not been seen in public since the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001. | Mullah Omar has not been seen in public since the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001. |
| The absence of confirmed contacts for several years fuelled speculation. His ill-health and even death have regularly been rumoured in the past. | The absence of confirmed contacts for several years fuelled speculation. His ill-health and even death have regularly been rumoured in the past. |
| Over the past two years, even some high-ranking Taliban started asking questions, both privately and within the Taliban circles, about their leader's health, life and ability to run the insurgency. | Over the past two years, even some high-ranking Taliban started asking questions, both privately and within the Taliban circles, about their leader's health, life and ability to run the insurgency. |
| Despite his long absence from the public view, the mystique of the man has been overwhelming. He had become a symbol and a unifying figure within the Taliban. While the day-to-day affairs have been managed by his deputies, everything else revolved around his name. | Despite his long absence from the public view, the mystique of the man has been overwhelming. He had become a symbol and a unifying figure within the Taliban. While the day-to-day affairs have been managed by his deputies, everything else revolved around his name. |
| Questions about his life and whereabouts will only increase, putting pressure on the Taliban to produce credible evidence - if he is alive. | Questions about his life and whereabouts will only increase, putting pressure on the Taliban to produce credible evidence - if he is alive. |
| Mullah Omar led the Taliban to victory over rival Afghan militias in the civil war that followed the withdrawal of Soviet troops. | Mullah Omar led the Taliban to victory over rival Afghan militias in the civil war that followed the withdrawal of Soviet troops. |
| His alliance with al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden prompted the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. | His alliance with al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden prompted the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. |
| Mullah Omar has since been in hiding, with a $10m (£6.4m) US State Department bounty on his head. | Mullah Omar has since been in hiding, with a $10m (£6.4m) US State Department bounty on his head. |
| Over the years, the Taliban have released several messages purported to be from the fugitive leader. | Over the years, the Taliban have released several messages purported to be from the fugitive leader. |
| The latest of these statements, from mid-July, expressed support for the peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. | The latest of these statements, from mid-July, expressed support for the peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. |
| However, the message was in the form of a text published on a Taliban website, rather than an audio or video recording - fuelling rumours that the leader was dead or incapacitated. | However, the message was in the form of a text published on a Taliban website, rather than an audio or video recording - fuelling rumours that the leader was dead or incapacitated. |
| The failure to prove that Mullah Omar was alive was a major factor behind the defection of several senior Taliban commanders to the so-called Islamic State group, according to the BBC's former Kabul correspondent, David Loyn. | The failure to prove that Mullah Omar was alive was a major factor behind the defection of several senior Taliban commanders to the so-called Islamic State group, according to the BBC's former Kabul correspondent, David Loyn. |
| Mullah Mohammed Omar | Mullah Mohammed Omar |