Afghan Taliban issues statement quoting 'dead' Jalaluddin Haqqani

Statement quotes Haqqani as mourning Mullah Omar's death and backing Mansoor as the new Taliban leader


Web Desk August 02, 2015
PHOTO: REUTERS

Afghan Taliban issued on Sunday a written statement purportedly quoting the founder of Haqqani network, Jalaluddin Haqqani, in a bid to quell rumors of his death.

In a statement posted on the group’s website, Taliban quoted Haqqani mourning the death of Afghan Taliban supremo Mullah Omar, Associated Press reported. Last week, authorities confirmed Mullah Omar died over two years ago owing to an illness.

Read: Of natural causes: Ailing Taliban faction leader Jalaluddin Haqqani ‘dead’

Soon after reports of Mullah Omar’s death, the Taliban elected Mullah Akhtar Mansoor as his successor and released an audio statement from him on Saturday.

The statement released on Sunday did not include any audio of Haqqani speaking to prove he is alive. However, it comes as the Taliban tries to present a unified front behind Mansoor as they continue their nearly 14-year insurgency against the Afghan government.

Read: Mullah Omar’s successor casts doubts on talks

The statement on Sunday said Haqqani backed Mansoor as the Taliban's leader.

"My particular recommendation to all members of the Islamic Emirate is to maintain their internal unity and discipline," the statement quotes Haqqani as saying, using the Taliban's name for Afghanistan. The statement added Haqqani said followers should not be deceived by enemy propaganda.

Rifts among the Taliban are apparent after Mullah Omar’s long-time deputy Mullah Akhtar was named as his successor, sparking off fissures within the movement.

Read: Taliban deny reports of Jalaluddin Haqqani's death

Earlier, a former Taliban minister told The Express Tribune that Mullah Omar’s son Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir and several other top leaders and council members are unhappy with the decision to name Mansoor as supreme leader.

“Mansoor has not been elected by the leadership council, but by his own group,” said a Taliban leader who was also involved in the discussions about the election of the new leader. “We cannot call a decision with a consensus.”

Some members of the leadership council and religious scholars pledged allegiance to the new Taliban supremo but some stayed away from the meeting that elected him to replace Mullah Omar, according a council member.

Read: Rift widens as Taliban name Omar's successor

Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the Haqqani Network, a deadly faction of the Afghan Taliban, died of natural causes last year and was buried in the Afghan province of Khost, a Pakistani militant leader told The Express Tribune on Friday. The news comes a day after the Afghan Taliban confirmed the death of their elusive, supreme commander Mullah Omar, who is said to have died two years ago.

Just like the Taliban chief’s death, rumours about Jalaluddin’s death have also circulated for some years and still cannot be independently verified.

Jalaluddin was injured in the aerial bombing of US fighter jets in Khost when Taliban fighters were fleeing Afghanistan in 2001. The Taliban had last released a video of the Afghan guerrilla leader in 2006 to deny the reports.

This article originally appeared in the Associated Press.

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