Afghanistan looks into reports of Taliban leader’s death

For years, the U.S. State Department had kept a $10 million bounty on his head.

But spokesman Eric Schultz would not be drawn on a specific claim made by Afghanistan that he had died two years ago in Pakistan.

“We are aware of the reports of the passing away of Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader”, Hashemi said.

The Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) spokesman on Wednesday confirmed the death of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, saying that Omar died in summer 2013 but his death was kept secret to avoid Taliban foot soldiers’ demoralization.

He said U.S. intelligence agencies are now reviewing those reports and the circumstances in which the Taliban leader died.

“I neither confirm nor reject the report of Mullah Omar’s death at the moment”, the official added.

Some reports suggested that his son was poised to take over the Islamist insurgency, which is fighting against the US-backed Afghan government.

“The disappearance of Mullah Omar from the scene can create a serious leadership crisis for the Taliban”, said Rahimullah Yousafzai, a journalist in Peshawar, Pakistan, who has extensively covered the Taliban.

The statement was seen as significant because many Taliban have long opposed negotiating with a government it calls a Western stooge.

It was Omar’s backing for al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks that sparked the US-led campaign in Afghanistan.

Reports of the reclusive leader’s death have surfaced in the past.

The Taliban appear to be maintaining a studied silence, but the Afghan presidential statement said grounds for the discussions are more solid now than before, and implored all insurgents to join the peace process.

“Some dissatisfied elements (of the Taliban) have already pledged allegiance to (ISIS)”, said Samad. The elusive, one-eyed Taliban leader was rarely photographed, and many question marks hang over his biography.

Mullah Omar and his core group of Taliban leaders were dubbed the “Quetta Shura” and were believed to have maintained some control over Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

Omar was born around 1960 in rural southern Afghanistan.

“[But] It was decided to not make an announcement due to the sensitivity of the time, and the government did not see it appropriate and helpful for the peace process to make the announcement”, one senior security official told NBC News on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

The Afghan government was represented by Hekmat Khalil Karzai, the deputy foreign minister, and the Taliban delegation was led by Mullah Abbas Durrani.