Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar died in 2013, Afghan officials say

Some Pakistani media reports suggest that Omar’s son Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub is himself hoping to succeed his father – a decision that many other senior leaders of the Taliban have reportedly opposed.

The Afghanistan government confirmed the news on Wednesday, saying the Taliban leader died in April 2013 in Pakistan.

Afghanistan’s spy agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), had said in November last year that Omar had possibly died.

“Mullah Omar was sick and was hospitalized two years and four months ago in a hospital near the city of Karachi”.

His alliance with al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden prompted the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. He fled into Pakistan on a motorcycle and was never seen again.

Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, Omar’s chief deputy who frequently speaks on his behalf, led the Taliban delegation to the talks, and a statement supporting the process, purportedly by Omar, was posted online on July 15, though it was text only, making it hard to verify. He has not been seen in public for at least 13 years.

Omar’s death could lead to a power struggle within the insurgent group, which is considered to be a loose group of separate factions.

The sources said the reclusive militant leader had died two to three years ago.

The earlier claims of his death, however, lacked the heft and detail of Wednesday’s confirmation from the Kabul authorities.

Reuters reports that an Afghan government official said a press conference had been called on the subject. Twice in 2011, the Taliban denied speculation that he had been killed.

These are long-standing demands by the Taliban, along with the establishment of a permanent office, probably in a Gulf state, that would give them legitimacy as a political organization. The announcement also cast doubt over the second round of negotiations between the insurgents and the Afghan government, which are expected to take place in Pakistan on Friday.

White House spokesman Eric Schulz said U.S. officials found the report credible, but he stopped short of confirming it.

Omar’s death would mark a significant blow to an nearly 14-year Taliban insurgency, which is riven by internal divisions and threatened by the rise of the Islamic State group in South Asia.

We’ve all heard the claim made before – it’s not the first time Omar was reported dead. Many observers believe that the war is being directed on the battlefield by leaders who believe they can defeat government forces.

“Whether he is dead or alive is important because he is the collective figure for the Taliban”, said a Western diplomat with connections to the Taliban leadership.

The most recent was earlier this month, backing peace talks involving the Taliban. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because arrangements were still being finalized.

In September 1996, Kabul fell to the Taliban under Omar’s command, leading Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to recognize their regime the following year.