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Afghan government investigating claims of Taliban leader Mullah Omar's death Afghan government investigating claims of Taliban leader Mullah Omar's death
(about 1 hour later)
The Afghan government has said it is investigating reports that Mullah Omar, the head of the Taliban, has been dead for two years.The Afghan government has said it is investigating reports that Mullah Omar, the head of the Taliban, has been dead for two years.
The Taliban has yet to confirm or deny the claims, which follow a week of speculation about the the fate of the insurgent leader.The Taliban has yet to confirm or deny the claims, which follow a week of speculation about the the fate of the insurgent leader.
Rumours of the Taliban leader’s death have been rife for years, but he has never before been declared dead by the government. Omar, who was the Taliban’s head of state from 1996, has not been seen in public since the US-led coalition toppled his government in 2001.Rumours of the Taliban leader’s death have been rife for years, but he has never before been declared dead by the government. Omar, who was the Taliban’s head of state from 1996, has not been seen in public since the US-led coalition toppled his government in 2001.
Zafar Hashemi, a deputy spokesman for the Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, made the announcement at a news conference in Kabul on Wednesday. The government’s statement comes amid deepening divisions within the Taliban. Zafar Hashemi, a deputy spokesman for the Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, made the announcement at a news conference in Kabul on Wednesday. “All I can say is that we are aware of the reports, and that we can’t confirm or deny them. We are assessing the reports,” he said.
Recently, some commanders had begun to openly question whether he was alive, stirring speculation about who should head the movement. If confirmed, Omar’s death would throw the Taliban into a struggle over the succession. The government’s statement comes amid deepening divisions within the Taliban.
Recently, some commanders had begun to openly question whether Omar was alive, stirring speculation about who should head the movement. If confirmed, Omar’s death would throw the Taliban into a struggle over the succession.
This week, Pakistani media reported that Omar’s eldest son, 26-year-old Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub, was challenging the movement’s official number two, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, for the leadership.This week, Pakistani media reported that Omar’s eldest son, 26-year-old Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub, was challenging the movement’s official number two, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, for the leadership.
The claims also come at a time when Ghani is trying to restart peace talks with the insurgents. After several informal meetings, an official delegation from the government met three Taliban representatives outside Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, in early July.The claims also come at a time when Ghani is trying to restart peace talks with the insurgents. After several informal meetings, an official delegation from the government met three Taliban representatives outside Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, in early July.
Following the summit, different factions, including the movement’s political office in Qatar, denied that the Taliban delegation represented the movement.Following the summit, different factions, including the movement’s political office in Qatar, denied that the Taliban delegation represented the movement.
Related: Mullah Omar - in his own wordsRelated: Mullah Omar - in his own words
The public disagreements were partly quelled the following week, however, when a statement published on the Taliban’s website, purportedly from Omar, endorsed the peace talks.The public disagreements were partly quelled the following week, however, when a statement published on the Taliban’s website, purportedly from Omar, endorsed the peace talks.
In an attempt to stem discontent, the Taliban leadership published a “biography” on Omar in April, emphasising that he was still the rightful leader of the faithful and of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as the movement called the country while it was in power. The Taliban leadership earlier published a “biography” on Omar in April in an attempt to stem discontent, emphasising that he was still the rightful leader of the faithful and of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as the movement called the country while it was in power.
Previous reports in 2011 of Omar’s death, which the Taliban rebuked, were started by the Afghan intelligence agency and leaked to national media. Previous reports in 2011 of Omar’s death, which the Taliban rebutted, were started by the Afghan intelligence agency and leaked to national media.
Ayman al-Zawhiri, the leader of al-Qaida, explicitly renewed a formal pledge of loyalty to Omar in September 2014 in a video announcing the formation of a new affiliate of his organisation in south Asia. If Omar was dead at the time, as the reports claim, it would indicate Zawahiri was unaware of the alleged death or unwilling to disclose it.