Afghanistan: Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar dead for 2 years

Media reports in Afghanistan and Pakistan this week said Omar died about two years ago, with some of the reports indicating his son was in a position to take over.

Under Omar’s leadership, the Taliban offered safe haven to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, precipitating the U.S. military action in Afghanistan after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

Abdul Hassib Seddiqi, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s security services, told the BBC Omar died of health problems at a hospital in Pakistan.

White House spokesman Eric Schultz confirmed Mullah Omar’s death, saying: “We do believe reports of his death to be credible”.

Reports last year had also suggested that Omar had given his old friend and deputy, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor, the authority to make decisions on his behalf regarding the peace process with the government.

The first round of face-on-face talks between the two sides was held in Pakistan a couple of weeks ago and the second round is expected to be held within days, probably in Islamabad.

“A spokesman for the Taliban couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Wednesday, and it remains unclear when and how Mullah Omar died”, it continues.

After several informal meetings, an official delegation from the government met three Taliban representatives outside Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, in early July.

Mullah Omar is a key figure in Afghan politics and the politics of terrorism.

The press release however does not mention the cause of his death whether he died of natural reasons or was killed. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn’t authorized to speak to journalists. He added that the U.S. intelligence community is looking into circumstances surrounding Omar’s death.

“I’ve tended to believe the rumors that he was dead since the serious splits started in the Taliban”, the official said. The Taliban denied previous claims.

A statement later Wednesday from the office of the president said it had confirmed the death based on what it called “accurate information” and insisted that Mullah Omar’s demise would benefit peace efforts.

However, it was only published as text on the Taliban’s website, which further fuelled speculations of Omar being dead or incapacitated.

Earlier this month, the Afghan Taliban released a message attributed to Mullah Omar to mark the Ramadan festival of Eid al-Fitr.

Even with Omar in hiding, the Taliban has continued attacks in Afghanistan, including a June auto bombing at the parliament compound in Kabul.