Taliban Leader Reported Wounded in Internal Gunfight

Fledgling peace discussions were disturbed by news of his passing between the Taliban as well as the Afghan authorities.

The Taliban, however, is denying the claim, saying it is Afghan government propaganda, and that not only was Mullah Mansour not harmed, but that no gunfight at all took place.

“We are trying to establish whether Mansoor is dead or alive”, Sultan Faizi, the spokesman for the Afghan first vice president, told AFP news agency.

Ever since, several factions have vied for control over the group.

But despite the divisions, there has been no let up in insurgent attacks – and the Taliban has seen a new resurgence under Mansour. They said they were seeking confirmation of the Taliban’s chief’s status.

The potential demise or incapacitation of Mansoor could throw the Taliban into another power struggle, which would probably be prolonged since this time as there is no obvious heir. The meeting was held at the home of veteran Taliban commander Abdullah Sarhadi, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, the newswire reported.

“There were differences on some points which later turned into harsh words, then Sarhadi opened fire and the others returned fire”, the AFP quoted the Taliban source as saying.

It was unclear what the argument was about.

Mansoor is believed to be under pressure by Pakistan’s ISI intelligence service to restart peace talks with the Afghan government, which has further inflamed divisions within the movement between pragmatists and hardline militants.

In September the Afghan Taliban released a message purportedly from Mansour in which he called on unity among Taliban fighters.

However, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid strongly refuted the allegation.

It had denied for some two years that reclusive, longtime leader Mullah Omar had died.

Another Taliban commander said the shootout was precipitated by fierce disagreement over how to deal with the splinter faction headed by Mullah Mohammad Rasool Akhund. Omar had actually died two years earlier. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said this week that he was ready to talk to Taliban members but he cautioned that since the death of Mullah Omar there was “no such thing as the Taliban There are groups of Taliban…”

Some reports claimed the shooting was fatal, but these were last night unconfirmed.

Rasool’s hardline faction is believed to be close to the “Islamic State”.