Afghan militant leader Jalaluddin Haqqani ‘has died’

The Afghan Taliban has publicly named its new leader: Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, according to two commanders of the Islamic militant organization. Mansoor has-been an “active director” of the jihad, or holy war, for some years, it added.

The Taliban have reacted to the death of their founder Mullah Omar by appointing his deputy as the new chief. After years of failed initiatives, peace talks finally began between Taliban and Afghanistan, with Pakistan and China serving as guarantors in the peace deal.

“If he gets the credibility, it might not be such bad news to have Mansour replace the invisible Mullah Omar“, she said. A statement from the JuD said a large number of leaders and activists joined the funeral prayers.

The spokesperson said the hospital had no record of Mullah Omar being treated there.

Saedi said that as Mullah Mansoor was part of the pro-peace talks element of the Taliban leadership, the Afghan and Pakistan governments would support him over other choices, such as the hardline commander Mullah Qayom Zakir who had been Mullah Omar’s deputy for military affairs.

Sources, however, say Sirajudin Haqqani, Jalaluddin’s son, has been running the militant network for over a year now, ever since his father’s illness.

A Taliban official said the process to choose Omar’s successor had several stages: the group’s ruling council would choose a candidate who must then be approved by a college of religious clerics. With such a positive myth built around him, Mullah Omar was the glue that held the fractious Taliban together.

The Taliban founder has not been seen in public since 2001, leading to widespread speculation of his whereabouts and multiple reports of his death over the last decade.

China along with Pakistan and United States attend the talks apparently as observers.It has stepped up its role in Afghanistan peace process in apparent move to stabilise its Xinjiang which witnessed violent attacks following unrest among its Uyugur Muslim population in the province. It has been responsible for most of the deadly attacks in Kabul and Sirajuddin is the subject of a $5m (3.2m) bounty. He’s believed to be in his late 40s. “However, I do not have details in this regard as of now”, he had said before announcing the postponement of the talks. Provincial lawmaker Mohammad Hashim Alokozai said 16 police and soldiers were killed in two days of fighting. The ISI does have long links with Islamic militants in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, since at least the 1980s, when it funneled weapons and money to insurgents battling Soviet forces.