Afghanistan confirms Taliban chief injured in Pakistan gunfight

Afghan CEO Abdullah Abdullah reiterates allegation of Pakistan’s hand in directing insurgency

ISLAMABAD: The Afghan government confirmed on Thursday Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor had been injured in a firing incident in Pakistan.

“The government confirms the incident in which Mullah Mansoor was wounded on the other side of the border, but we do not have any confirmed reports about his death,” said a statement in Pashto and Dari languages on the official account of Afghan Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah.

Official release of the Afghan Government on the reports suggesting the injury of Mula Akhtar Mansoor in #Quetta. pic.twitter.com/GNoZM9EK08

— Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) December 3, 2015

Afghan officials on Wednesday had claimed Mansoor was injured in a firefight following a verbal dispute at a meeting of militant commanders in Pakistan.

Kabul reiterated the allegation that the Taliban insurgency was directed from across the border.



The incident, statement said, once again exposed the nature of war imposed by terrorist groups and proves their “organisation and centres are located outside Afghan borders.”

However, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid strongly refuted the allegation.

“It is part of the propaganda unleashed by Afghan intelligence. The Amirul Momineen is safe and was not in the area where the alleged firefight took place,” Mujahid told The Express Tribune.

“The enemy falsely claimed that the incident took place at house of a Mullah Abdullah Sarhadi. His house is not Kuchlak region."

Meanwhile, foreign ministry spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said Pakistan was "not aware of the incident. However, we have noted that Taliban spokesperson has denied that any such firefight took place."