Mullah Omar’s family swears allegiance to the new Taliban chief, Mohammed

It quoted Yakoub, a former frontrunner to replace Omar as leader, as saying: “We will work to strengthen and unite the Islamic Emirate… and for this objective we demand all the Mujahideen to work with unity in their ranks and to avoid any difference or conflict”.

His swift appointment had angered some Taliban leaders after the group’s founder’s death was confirmed in July. The conditions included restructuring the leadership council and ruling by consensus.

The Taliban statement did not reveal where the meeting between Omar’s family and Mansoor took place but noted that the new Taliban leader was present when the two pledged their allegiance to him.

Omar’s relatives could not be contacted directly, but a close aide to Omar’s son confirmed an agreement had been celebrated at a secret ceremony after Mansour accepted eight demands.

He wanted Maulavi Yaqoob to succeed his father as the supreme leader of Taliban. Reacting to the development, Pakistan’s national security adviser, Sartaj Aziz, said the resolution of the Taliban’s succession could pave the way for renewed peace talks with the Afghan government.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, said three of their fighters were killed in the “coordinated attack”.

A statement posted on the Taliban’s web site on Tuesday said that Mullah Omar’s brother, Mullah Abdul Manan, and eldest son, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub, declared their support for Mansour’s leadership in a gathering of senior Taliban officials.

Asked about other senior Taliban figures such as Manan Niazi, Mullah Hassan Akhund and Mansour Dadullah, the spokesman said: “They have not yet given allegiances, but they should give it now, because they were waiting for the family of the commander of the faithful to go first”.

Another major effect was the breakdown in the relationship between Kabul and Islamabad due to the rumours that Mullah Omar had died in Karachi, and the Afghan government’s suspicions about Pakistan were revived.

Despite its internal struggles, and the recent emergence of the rival Islamic State group in the country, the Taliban´s 14-year insurgency shows no sign of slackening.