Afghan Taliban chief reportedly wounded in Pakistan firefight

The Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who is facing increasing dissent from his own ranks, has been seriously wounded in a gunfight in Pakistan, the Afghan government has said.

Mansour officially took over the Afghan Taliban after it was revealed in July that the group’s longtime, one-eyed leader Mullah Omar had been dead for two years, according to Afghan government and a former senior Taliban official.

Sources close to the group told AFP that at least four Taliban members were killed in the gunfight that reportedly took place at the home of Taliban commander Abdullah Sarhadi.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujaheed, however, has dismissed Fayzi’s assertions as baseless.

Mansoor assumed leadership in the summer following the announcement that the group’s founder, Mullah Omar, had died in 2013.

“There were differences on some points which later turned into harsh words, then Sarhadi opened fire and the others returned fire”, the Taliban source said. While his predecessor was known for his ascetic lifestyle, Mansoor is viewed as a pragmatist – some would say opportunist.

But splinter factions disputed Mansour’s leadership, and accused him of being a pawn of Pakistani intelligence.

The Taliban have seen a new resurgence under Mansour, opening new battlefronts despite the rise of the rival Islamic State in Afghanistan.

Mansoor boosted is standing among Afghan and Pakistan-based Taliban militants following the temporary capture of the northern city of Kunduz in September.

A breakaway faction of the Taliban led by Mullah Mohamed Rasool was formed last month, in the first formal split in the once-unified group.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, said the man is being held by the Haqqani network, a family-run militant group that operates along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

“Simply posting denials on their website won’t be considered credible enough, especially after Mullah Omar’s death was concealed for years”.

Mansour is believed to have past ties to some elements within Pakistan’s intelligence service, and he has generally been viewed as more receptive to peace talks than some other Taliban commanders.

With rumours rife, Mansoor will be hard pressed to issue a statement soon.