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| Afghan Taliban appoints new leader and confirms death of Mullah Mansoor | Afghan Taliban appoints new leader and confirms death of Mullah Mansoor |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Taliban in Afghanistan has confirmed the death of former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in a US drone strike last week and appointed his successor. | The Taliban in Afghanistan has confirmed the death of former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in a US drone strike last week and appointed his successor. |
| Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, a prominent religious scholar and deputy to the killed leader, will head the militant movement, which has been in disarray its founder, Mullah Omar, was proclaimed dead last summer. | |
| Related: Pakistan condemns US drone strike that killed Taliban leader Mansoor | Related: Pakistan condemns US drone strike that killed Taliban leader Mansoor |
| The surprisingly quick selection of a new chief follows a series of meetings in recent days among the core leadership in Quetta, Pakistan. | |
| The swiftness of the decision is probably an attempt to prevent further rifts in the ranks. | |
| Many commanders saw the selection last summer of Mansoor – a heavy-handed and divisive figure – as a coup, leading to violent clashes between factions. Since then, unrest has fomented and caused unprecedented infighting. | |
| Largely unknown outside the movement, Haibatullah is a former Taliban chief justice and heads it religious Ulema council. | |
| Compared with Mansoor, he has strong religious credentials, and has been responsible for issuing fatwas justifying military and terrorist operations. | |
| Reportedly from Panjwai district of Kandahar, Haibatullah heralds from Taliban’s spiritual heartland, which gives him some clout over southern commanders. He is also from the same Ishaqzai tribe as Mansoor, allowing him to draw on financial networks and political allegiances. | |
| Apart from inheriting a movement rife with friction, Haibatullah will also be watched closely by the Afghan government and its international partners who hope he will be amenable to joining the peace process. His predecessor was targeted, according to the Pentagon, because he was “an obstacle to peace.” | |
| “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 group said in a statement. | |
| Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of a network blamed for many high-profile bombs attacks in Kabul in recent years, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of former leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, will serve as deputies, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s main spokesman, said in the statement. | Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of a network blamed for many high-profile bombs attacks in Kabul in recent years, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of former leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, will serve as deputies, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s main spokesman, said in the statement. |
| Related: Death of Mullah Mansoor highlights Taliban's links with Iran | |
| Mansoor was killed in Pakistan on Saturday when his vehicle was struck by a US drone, believed to be the first time a Taliban leader was killed in such a way inside Pakistani territory. | Mansoor was killed in Pakistan on Saturday when his vehicle was struck by a US drone, believed to be the first time a Taliban leader was killed in such a way inside Pakistani territory. |
| The US and Afghan governments said Mansoor had been an obstacle to a peace process that had ground to a halt when he refused to participate in peace talks earlier this year. Instead, he intensified the war in Afghanistan, now in its 15th year. | |
| Pakistani authorities are believed to support Taliban leaders in cities over the Afghan border. The insurgents have been fighting to overthrow the Kabul government since 2001. | Pakistani authorities are believed to support Taliban leaders in cities over the Afghan border. The insurgents have been fighting to overthrow the Kabul government since 2001. |
| Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report |